In the early hours of Friday morning, October 31, we lost a visionary thinker, a creative mind, a humourist, and a compassionate soul not often seen in our world. A man whose keen understanding of all things, from the cosmic and beyond, and to the here and now, has himself departed for the great beyond. Even as we sit in disbelief that he is no longer physically with us, we know that he is where he always knew and intended to be, which is content with the final outcome and destination, with no regrets and only hopeful for peace, compassion, and understanding amongst his fellow citizens of this entire planet.

Gilberto Virginio Schaefer was born in Basel, Switzerland, on January 31, 1947, to Elide DeMaria and Oscar Schäfer. The youngest of five children, he grew up in the Basel suburb of Allschwil with his four older sisters in an eclectic musical and artistic Swiss-Italian family. “Käfer” spent his youth and adolescence playing soccer (a passion he would share with his granddaughter decades later), adventuring as a Boy Scout in the Pfadi, and hitchhiking through Europe and England with his best friend “Kim”. He attended the Basel Kunstgewerbeschule, where he began his lifelong work in the field of visual design & communication arts.

It was also here at the Basel School of Art & Design in 1964 that he met his true love, best friend, lifelong partner, collaborator, and future wife, Doris Schwarz. Together, they worked their apprenticeships at the renowned “Rheinbrücke” Department Store in Basel, where they began their professional design careers as visual 3D display designers.

In 1968, he came to America on his own to test the waters on a work visa. Gil’s first job in Salt Lake City was at ZCMI, where he continued his work as an advertising display artist. In 1969, Gil moved to Minneapolis to work at Donaldson’s Department Store, and Doris joined him there shortly after. In July of 1969, they were married in Minneapolis. Their work visas expired in early 1970, and Gil & Doris decided to return to Switzerland via the “other way around”, so they set out to experience the world together. Their shared wanderlust took them across the globe, through winding dirt roads, over mountain passes, on buses, trains, boats, and airplanes, starting in San Francisco and then on to Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, through the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, before they landed back in Basel.

After being back in Switzerland for less than six months, in December 1970, they set out for America again – Gil’s sister Romana and brother-in-law Werner had lured them back to the state of Utah, and their childhood fascination with exploring the American West was finally able to take shape. Gil returned to work at ZCMI and was later recruited to KUTV2, where he used his visual and graphic skills to design the sets and visual elements for their on-air news team.

When Gil and Doris had finally decided that “This Was The Place”, they chose to settle down in the Avenues to purchase and renovate their first home in 1974, where they have lived ever since. After the birth of their two sons, Kelly & Jesse, Gil decided to strike out on his own in business.

Gil founded the graphic design and advertising studio “INNOVATION” in downtown Salt Lake City in 1979 with his partner Peter Pigott, and a talented roster of collaborators and freelancers (including Fausto Annoni & Cathy Behrens) from all artistic, photographic, writing, and visual backgrounds to form a formidable team responsible for creating identities and campaigns for local, national, and international clients. A chance connection with Robert Redford led him to create the first visual identities for the Sundance Institute and the inaugural US Film Festival, presented by the Sundance Institute, in 1985. Awards and accolades piled up during his career too numerous to mention, but Gil cared little about the plaques on the wall; he was just always ready for and craving the next creative challenge.

Gil’s love for, and connection to, Utah deepened as he set out at an almost obsessive pace to explore every back road, slot canyon, petroglyph panel, and American Native historical site, forming a spiritual bond and connection to the red earth on which it all stood. He studied and absorbed the historical accounts and histories of these ancient peoples of the American Southwest with a religious-like fervor, and shared his acquired knowledge (and secret spots) with his closest friends and family during his three-plus decades of trips to the desert. “Church” was held around the campfire and beneath a sea of stars for Gil. There were no better times than these.

And as great as fate would have it, his final days and moments were spent with his wife and sons, their shared bond and love as strong as ever. We are so fortunate to have been able to experience this life together with him. Even through our tears, we know he’s okay, and we can’t wait until we can see him again. We love you, Dad, forever.

In respect for the family’s privacy, and in lieu of flowers, donate to the Utah Food Bank to help those in need if you are able. And while you’re here on his site, leave us a note or share some stories. We will look forward to seeing each and every one of you whose life was touched by Gil when the time is right, and we thank you for your thoughts and wishes in the meantime.

Gil is survived by his beautiful wife Doris, his sons Kelly (Anna) and Jesse (Leah) and his granddaughter Hazel, as well as his sisters Yvonne, Silvana and Miranda, and his entire extended family living in Switzerland, the US and Italy.