A Celebration of Life 1972 - 2014 FORECOURT OF THE STATE HOUSE, ACCRA, GHANA, 7:00AM SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2014 2 CELEBRATION OF LIFE - KOMLA AFEKE DUMOR Order Of Service SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2014 PART ONE PART TWO Pre-Burial Service Liturgical Service @ 9:00am (Forecourt Of The State House) Order Of Service • Arrival of the Body @ 7:00am • Entrance Song — CH 328 Lead us Heavenly Father • Laying in State for Last Respect (Dignitaries & other Special lead us Guests) • Introit — CH 224 Breathe on me Breath of God • Hymn/Song — All Choirs - File Past • Introductory Rites • Tributes • Opening Prayer 1. Multimedia Group Ltd (JOY FM) • 1st Reading — 1 Cor. 1: 26-31 2. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) • Responsorial Psalm — CH 34 3. President of Ghana • Gospel — Luke 12:35-40 • Hymn/Song — Holy Spirit Cathedral Choir - File Past • Reflection • Tributes • Prayer of the Faithful (Intentions) 1. Family a) For the wife and Children 2. F ather (Prof. Ernest Koku Dumor) — CH 376 Take b) For the siblings my life c) For the father 3. Sister (Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh) d) For the Youth of Ghana 4. Brother (Dr. Korshie Dumor) e) For the staff of BBC & Joy FM • Hymn/Song — Winneba Youth Choir - File Past f) For all Departed Souls • Tributes • Offering — Medleys 1. Children • Biography 2. Wife (Mrs. Kwansema Dumor) • Widowhood Rites • Hymn/Song — Pax Romana Choir - File Past (FINAL) • Announcements • Closing of Coffin —“Consolation” from SONGS WITH- • Final Commendation OUT WORDS (Felix Mendelssohn) by Man on the Sax - Pastor Albert Asante PART THREE Funeral Rites, Refreshment for Special • CHOIRS IN ATTENDANCE Guests and Donations 1. Holy Spirit Cathedral Parish Choir 2. Pax Romana Choir (University of Ghana, Legon) PART FOUR 3. Winneba Youth Choir Private Burial (Rites at the Grave side) SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2014 • Thanksgiving Mass at The Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka at 9:00am • Family meets at Home with Friends (private) CELEBRATION OF LIFE - KOMLA AFEKE DUMOR 3 4 CELEBRATION OF LIFE - KOMLA AFEKE DUMOR Hymns CH 376 CH 328 1. Take my life, and let it be 1. Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us, Consecrated, Lord to thee; Through the World’s tempestuous sea; Take my moments and my days, Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us, Let them flow in ceaseless praise. For we have no help but you; Yet possessing every blessing, 2. Take my hands, and let them move If our God our Father be. At the impulse of thy love. Take my feet, and let them be, 2. Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us; Swift and beautiful for thee. All our weakness you do know, You did tread this earth before us, 3. Take my voice, and let me sing You did feel its keenest woe; Always, only, for my King; Lone and dreary, faint and weary Take my lips, and let them be, Through the desert you did go. Filled with messages from thee. 3. Spirit of our God, descending, 4. Take my silver and my gold; Fill our hearts with heavenly joy, Not a mite would I withhold, Love with every passion blending, Take my intellect, and use, Pleasures that can never cloy: Every power as thou shalt choose. Thus provided, pardoned, guided, 5. Take my will, and make it thine: Nothing can our peace destroy. It shall be no longer mine, CH 224 Take my heart; it is thine own: 1. Breathe on me, Breath of God, It shall be thy royal throne. Fill me with anew, 6. Take my love; my Lord I pour, That I may love what thou dost love, At thy feet its treasure-store. And do what thou wouldst do. Take myself, and I will be, 2. Breathe on me, Breath of God, Ever, only, all for thee. Until my heart is pure: CH 34 Until with thee, I have one will, Antiphon: My soul is longing for your peace, To do and to endure. Near to you, my God 3. Breathe on me, Breath of God, 1. Lord, you know that my heart is not proud, Till I am wholly thine, And my eyes are not lifted from the earth. Until this earthly part of me, 2. Lofty thoughts have never filled my mind, Glows with thy fire divine. Far beyond my sight all ambitious deeds. 4. Breathe on me, Breath of God, 3. In your peace I have maintained my soul, So shall I never die, But live with thee the perfect life, I have kept my heart in your quiet peace. Of thine eternity. 4. As a child rests on his mother’s knee, So I place my soul in your loving care. 5. Israel, put all your hope in God, Place your trust in him, now and evermore. CELEBRATION OF LIFE - KOMLA AFEKE DUMOR 5 6 CELEBRATION OF LIFE - KOMLA AFEKE DUMOR Celebrating Komla Afeke Dumor BIOGRAPHY The Heritage and loved by his family and friends and admired as “The Boss Player” in his professional life. Komla Afeke (The Root of the Family) Dumor was born into a family of recognized educationists. His paternal grandfather, Michael Dumor, was a pioneer in the Catholic education proj- Early life and education ect in the Volta Region beginning from the 1930’s. His mater- nal grandfather, Philip Gbeho, the indomitable music master of Komla grew up on the campus of the University of Cape Coast Achimota School, was the composer of the National Anthem and, at three and half years, he insisted on joining his sister of Ghana. This was a tradition that emphasized the value of to attend the pre- school program offered at the University education, a drive for knowledge, the pursuit of excellence Primary School. In 1975, when his parents left for the United and service to ones country. Komla was born on 3rd October States of America, he began his formal education from the K-I 1972 to Prof Ernest Dumor a highly respected academic and a run by the United Methodist Church. He was admitted into the public servant and Cecilia Dumor (née Gbeho) an educationist, Spartan Village School where he began his real educational curriculum expert, and an editor of international repute. journey. In 1979, Komla and his older sister joined their father in the Tacoma –Seattle Area in the State of Washington. He Komla’s parents taught him the value of sacrifice and love for was enrolled in Wildwood Park Elementary School in Puyallup country through their own professional work. His father was and then Daffodil Valley Elementary School a year later. The responsible for the building of the Ghana National Identifica- years with his father created a very intense bond between tion Systems and the regulatory National Identification Au- them. But those years remained significant in Komla’s early life thority established to manage the system. Any child in Ghana because as a black African child in a racially polarized environ- who has been to secondary school in the last 25 years, has ment, he came face to face with a much more concealed yet been touched by Komla’s mother. She almost single - hand- dangerous form of racial discrimination. edly supervised the production and edited 50 textbooks even though she was then chronically ill with rheumatoid arthritis. At that tender age Komla had to rely on the support of his parents to deal with this widespread problem in the American Komla was born into a Roman Catholic family and was school system. With the right encouragement and family sup- brought up according to the teachings of the Catholic Church port, Komla dealt with the racial obstacles by working extra particularly as to the sanctity of family and marriage. He was hard on his school assignments. He was made to cultivate nurtured to internalize basic Christian virtues of humility, the habit of reading and spent quite a lot of his leisure time charity, diligence, patience, kindness and temperance. He lived with his nose in a book. He read books that told the story of these virtues in his family and professional life. He was strong slavery in America and the profiles of great African American and firmly grounded in his Christian walk and he would say Achievers noting clearly how they got to the top in the face ever so often that whatever GOD had endowed him with must of extreme difficulties. Komla realized very early that these be shared. achievers got to the top by pursuing a disciplined life, excel- The above is just part of the kaleidoscope of Komla’s heritage. lence and a hunger for knowledge and perseverance. However, Komla was taught not to bask in the achievements When Komla reached the fifth grade in Daffodil Valley Ele- of his grandparents, parents and recognized family members, mentary School, he offered to participate in the inter-schools but to carve a niche for himself by applying creatively the gift district spelling bee competition. His class teacher at the time of heritage. who stereotypically thought Komla was only fit for sports, dis- As a result of these influences, Komla through his own passion missed him by a simple wave of the hand. His parents protest- for good, justice and fair play, and a concern for the poor and ed and the school allowed him to contest. Komla confounded disadvantaged, evolved into a masterpiece of GOD, cherished everyone by reaching the finals and finally becoming the first CELEBRATION OF LIFE - KOMLA AFEKE DUMOR 7 runner-up. Komla had set the stage for himself and his family wanted to pursue a law degree and then specialize in forensic in the Sumner Community where this African family was con- science.