Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: Arthur Edwards, the founder of Livingstone Foundation International, died Monday following a brief illness. He was 80. A memorial service takes place July 29 at 3:30 p.m. on the school campus in Thahekhu, Dimapur.
Born in Darjeeling on December 22, 1945, Edwards moved to Dimapur in the early 1970s. He became a fixture of the city. He launched the Tourist Lodge, Park Hotel and Restaurant, and the iconic Breeze Bakery and Restaurant on Church Road. He also pushed for modern infrastructure, helping identify local roads like PWD and Dr. Hokishe Sema Road by installing the city's first business signboards.
Edwards opened the Livingstone Foundation School with his wife, Nisheli Sema, in February 1988. The school grew into a cornerstone of Northeast education. For his work, he received the Nation’s Pride of the Millennium Award in 1999. Beyond schools and business, he served as a patron for the Indian Red Cross Society and held board roles with the Gorkha Union and the Holy Cross Church.
Tributes flooded in from across the region. The Naga People's Front Central Minority Wing praised his commitment to nation-building. The Linguistic Minority Forum of Nagaland highlighted his advocacy for peaceful coexistence among all settlers. The Nagaland Medicine Dealers Association, which counted Edwards as a mentor to president Ato Yepthomi, offered a grim assessment of the loss. The group stated, "A pillar of Dimapur has fallen."
The community remains in shock. Friends and faculty remember his steady hand. He spent decades teaching, mentoring, and building the city from the ground up.
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