Nicholas M. Nikitas, 66, of Plymouth, formerly of Boston, passed away on November 20th at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care in Milton after a brief illness. A graduate of Deerfield Academy and Dartmouth College, Mr. Nikitas was born on February 26, 1950 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts to the late Marines N. and Helen (Pappazissis) Nikitas. A second generation Greek-American, Mr. Nikitas had a career that moved between business and public service. A long time, award-winning real estate developer, he was the President of Nikitas Family Inns, Inc., a family-owned real estate development firm with holdings that included the former Howard Johnson Motor Lodge in Kingston, Massachusetts, which later became the Plymouth Bay Inn & Suites; a Holiday Inn Hotel in Worcester; and several residential properties both in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth. The Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1986, Mr. Nikitas was raised in a household devoted to public service at the local, state, and federal levels; his father was an aide to Senator Edward W. Brooke and the former Attorney General of both Massachusetts and the United States, Elliot Richardson. Entering politics upon his graduation from college, Nicholas remained active on various statewide campaigns throughout his life, serving as Finance Chair and Chief Surrogate for John Sears' Gubernatorial bid in 1982, and Vice Chairman for Elliot Richardson's run for the U.S. Senate in 1984. Described by General Richardson as "highly informed, very articulate and thoroughly decent," Mr. Nikitas was twice appointed by President Ronald Reagan: first, in May 1982, to the Advisory Panel on Financing Elementary and Secondary Education, and, in September 1985, to the National Advisory Council on Adult Education (NACAE), of which he served as Vice Chairman. Tasked with drafting reports to the President on the plight of American education, Mr. Nikitas, revered for his diligence and insight, traveled the nation with his cohorts and testified before Congress. Respected and admired on both sides of the aisle, Mr. Nikitas truly, in the words of Kipling, "walk[ed] with kings[and never] los[t] the common touch." At the local level, Mr. Nikitas held several board memberships at various points throughout his life: He served on the Parish Council of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England, the Leadership Giving and Surgical Giving Committees of Massachusetts General Hospital, the board of the Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, and that of the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra. A patron of Plimoth Plantationof which his beloved wife, Joanne, is a board memberhe also assisted in coaching his son's Little League team in Plymouth, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club. An avid sailor, who was happiest navigating the waters of New England and beyond, Mr. Nikitas competed in several regattas, captaining a crew in the Marion-Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race of 1999. He reveled in a quiet generosity of spirit and resourcein acts which, even in his passing, are newly revealed to his family and friends. He leaves his wife of more than 25 years, Joanne S. (Montouris) Nikitas; his son, Maximos N. Nikitas, of Plymouth; a sister, Christine A. Nikitas of Woburn; aunts Dorothy T. Nikitas of Fitchburg and Demetra N. Avdoulos of Glastonbury, Conn.; and a cousin, Michael S. Avdoulos, also of Glastonbury. Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, November 22nd, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Greek Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral at 514 Parker St., Boston, MA 02120. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, November 23rd at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral. Memorial donations may be made to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, 162 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA 02445; the Lewy Body Dementia Association, Inc.; or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society