Former Community Board Chairman John E. Nikas Remembered At Street Co-Naming

Family, friends and community leaders gathered Wednesday to honor John E. Nikas, a longtime chairperson of Community Board 15 and former assistant to Governor Mario Cuomo.

The intersection of East 12th Street and Sheepshead Bay Road, behind the 61st Precinct, received a new sign reading John E. Nikas Way in recognition of his community activism on what would have been his 81st birthday.

In addition to his work on the Community Board and for the governor, Nikas, who passed away in 2011 at age 78, was remembered as a tireless community advocate who sought to help the less fortunate.

Daily News writes:

He served three decades on the board of New York Community Hospital and co-founded a charity called Youth DARES, which helps at-risk kids and now annually serves more than 400 youngsters.

“He wanted to make a difference for his children and grandchildren and for the community we live in,” said his wife, Rose Nikas.

UPDATE (September 24 @ 10am): Councilman Chaim Deutsch emailed us the the following comment:

“It was an honor and a pleasure to host the co-naming of John E. Nikas Way. John was a paragon of integrity and compassion, a true role model for all. John was a doer and a community activist whose dedication to his family and his neighborhood knew no bounds. I am proud to have been able to memorialize him with this street co-naming.”