Three days after Theo’s death, with an investigation still underway in Golden and Broadway mourning, a major New York newspaper runs a front-page story announcing the death of renowned artist Gamez Theophilus Zilavez, known worldwide as “Zila.” The piece spreads rapidly across social media and other outlets, drawing intense attention from the art world.

The article recounts Zila’s long, celebrated career and carefully guarded reclusiveness, noting his works’ presence in major museums and detailing his valuable private collection housed at the Zila Gallery in Chelsea. It traces his origins in northern Portugal, his early encouragement from family, and the pivotal support of benefactor Edmund Timmons, who helped fund Zila’s education and entrée into European art circles.

It describes Zila’s early experimentation with modern styles before he returned to classical realism, along with the polarized critical reception that followed. The obituary highlights signature achievements and public milestones, including the selection of Boat #216 as one of the 20th century’s most significant works and his retreat from public life after 1987, plus notable side contributions such as developing “Zila green,” his passion for portrait art, and philanthropic artistic work tied to rivers and birdwatching.

The article also recounts Zila’s personal tragedy: his marriage to Swiss heiress Celeste Hargue and the death of Celeste and their daughter in a 1987 car accident, after which Zila withdrew and later returned with a burst of abstract work. It closes the biographical arc by emphasizing his global honors and his habit of sending handwritten letters in lieu of attending ceremonies.

Turning to the immediate circumstances, the newspaper reports that Zila died from injuries sustained in a fall from the balcony of his Golden residence and that the reason for his presence in Georgia is unknown. His longtime assistant and gallerist, Anais Metoir, says he had recently seemed unusually happy and “fully invested in the art of living.” A sidebar adds that Zila’s last known paintings form a six-canvas collection titled The Blues of Golden, depicting a hat, shoes, a pill bottle, a feather, and a riverscape, soon to be displayed at the Zila Gallery.