Culture & Community | Arts & Culture | New Haven Parks | Westville
Blanchard Tondo, Annie Gumba, Christy Masamba, Sarah Ngongi, Simon Ngongi, and Luc Fabius Clyde. Abiba Biao Photos.
Harry Coyle can still remember the first time he met Semi Semi-Dikoko. A New Haven park ranger, Coyle was on his usual route through Edgewood Park when Semi-Dikoko appeared with a smile, there on a leisurely stroll with his nieces and nephews. It wasn’t long until he became a fixture in the space, helping with park cleanup, planning events, and dreaming up new spaces for fruit trees and artmaking.
Almost two years after his passing, Coyle still doesn’t want to think about the park—or New Haven— without him.
That memory was one of several on a recent Saturday, as dozens of Semi-Dikoko’s friends, family members, and Westville confidants and colleagues gathered to celebrate his life in a place he made his second home. Huddled among the park’s lush greenery and sun-dappled trees, attendees remembered Semi-Dikoko’s impact on New Haven, taking the time to dedicate a Black Walnut Tree in his honor.
The event was organized by Friends of Edgewood Park, of which Semi-Dikoko was a dedicated member.
The tree, still a sapling, now holds several handwritten tags paying tribute to his life. They double as a testament to his love for a good celebration: the event coincided with what would have been his 71st birthday.
“He was just always involved in Westville and just the community. Everywhere he went, any program that I went to, he was always there. He was always willing to help,” Coyle said. “You didn't have to ask him. He would just show up and be there.”
Born and raised in Congo, Semi-Dikoko moved to New Haven in 1991, after stints in Belgium, Germany, and New York that gave him a certain je ne sais quoi and cosmopolitan flair in the Elm City. For those who knew and loved him—a number that always seemed to be growing—he was endlessly generous, with an ability to build a community that reached far beyond his tight-knit family.
“He wasn't only a brother to me,” said his younger sister, Annie Gumba, whose path to the U.S. was one that Semi-Dikoko laid the groundwork for. Gumba is now a financial assistant at the Yale School of Medicine; it was in her home that Semi-Dikoko spent his last months, before going into Yale-New Haven Hospital. “He was a father. He was a friend.”
Semi-Dikoko also helped support his brother-in-law, Simon Ngongi, who obtained his MBA at the University of New Haven.
“He wished the best for people and the community,” Simon said in French. “He wanted the community to move and progress. He loved what is good for people and loved helping and assisting people. That was always his number one priority.”
As they gathered around the tree, Gumba thanked community members for their support while Semi-Dikoko was dealing with his cancer diagnosis. She stressed the importance of small, meaningful acts of kindness and community building—like those for which her brother was known. When Semi-Dikoko died, he was beloved by even his doctors and nurses.
“Each of us, we have to love each other while we’re still alive,” she said. “We have to impact our community while we’re still alive. We cannot wait until our friend, our loved one, our family members goes away … We’re here because Semi was good to everybody. He impacted each of us.”
With tears in her eyes, she turned towards the park and gestured to the tree and surrounding greenspace, taking in the scenery that Semi-Dikoko enjoyed everyday.
“To the community, thank you, for having this great day here to honor my brother,” she said. “Now I will have time, which I never had passing here, to enjoy this beautiful tree that is going to be blooming here in honor of Semi.”
As attendees gathered Saturday, many came with stories of Semi-Dikoko, who once rallied a whole city to get 48 fruit trees in Edgewood Park. One by one, people remembered his avid love of nature, stewardship of Friends of Edgewood Park, interest in assisting park rangers, and work putting together events in the park.
His siblings, cousins and nieces and nephews also reflected on his love for family, which often intersected with his love for sprawling, clean greenspaces in the city that became his adopted home. In addition to helping his younger sisters, Gumba and Lucienne Nkebani, settle in New Haven, he also supported his nieces, Simone and Sarah Ngongi. He was a constant cheerleader of Sarah as her career in fashion design, art, and modeling took off.
Saturday, Sarah remembered visiting Manhattan with him as her tour guide. In the years since, her uncle’s inquisitive spirit and travel bug has led her to prioritize community and interpersonal relationships.
“He always talked about the importance of just getting involved and giving back and I truly believe that's what contributed to who I am as a woman today. It’s contributed to my sister's life and he always encouraged us to travel,” she said.
Coyle and Gumba.
Family friend and recent UConn graduate Benie N’sumbu remembered Semi-Dikoko as a guiding figure in her life. Six years ago, N’sumbu met Semi-Dikoko after joining Artspace New Haven’s Summer Apprenticeship Program. He later helped her apply for summer programs at Boston College and provided a letter of support that granted her financial aid.
“They ended up giving me a little bit more money that allowed me to actually go,” she remembered.
After initially gathering at the ranger station, attendees walked on a paved trail to the tree dedication site, which sits in the middle of the park. There, a still-small Black Walnut tree sat surrounded by mulch and woodchips, a reminder that even at his most debonair, Semi-Dikoko was not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Black walnut trees can grow up to 50 to 75 feet and are native to the Northeast which help support local habitats, provide shade for fauna and park goers, and produce fruit, said Chris Ozyck, associate director of the Urban Resource Initiative. For these reasons, Ozyck found that the tree felt like a fitting tribute, representing Semi-Dikoko’s continuous compassion for others.
“This [Edgewood park] is a place that embodies Semi,” he said, adding that the tree recalled Semi-Dikoko’s long, lanky form. “This is his space within the park.”
One by one attendees placed their tags onto the tree, tying personal messages and reflections onto the branches. On each tag, a tiny image of Semi-Dikoko smiled back.
“He was one of my mentors here in New Haven, and I appreciate the knowledge of life experience that he shared with me,” Coyle said.”He's a good man, and I miss him.”
Mufy Pendergast.
FEOP member and event organizer Muffy Pendergast remembered Semi-Dikoko’s welcoming personality and his “booming voice,” that a person could hear from miles away.
“This is how he was, delighted to see you and welcome you no matter what, you know?” she said. “And there wasn't anyone that he didn't treat in a special way.”
An artist and Westvillian, Pendergast recalled bumping into Semi-Dikoko often, describing him as a “social architect.”
“He was very interested in checking in on everyone seeing he needed something, bringing people up,” she said. “Just wanted to bring everyone up.”
She added that they are also working to install a bench in remembrance of Semi-Dikoko adjacent to the tree or under the tree.