James Himonas

James "Jim" Himonas died peacefully on May 6 after a long illness.

Born in New York in 1932, the second child of James D. Himonas and Rose Marie Himonas, Jim grew up in Pennsylvania and Staten Island. While attending high school Jim excelled as a scholar and an athlete. He competed in track, baseball and basketball winning several awards including the Staten Island Varsity Club's Outstanding Student-Athlete Award for 1949-50.

Jim was a scholarship student at Rutgers University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree prior to serving four years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He later earned an M.B.A. degree with honors in Marketing at the Columbia University School of Business where he was awarded the Samuel Bronfman Foundation Fellowship in Democratic Business Enterprise for Academic Achievement and Leadership.

He was a marketing executive in 1967 when he met his future wife, Jill. They married in 1969. By then Jim had joined the Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Agency where he was responsible for several accounts including Gilette and Sears Roebuck. When O & M acquired an agency in Los Angeles, Jim was offered the opportunity to manage the new acquisition as its Executive Vice President. He and Jill, both native New Yorkers, decided to experience life on the west coast and moved to Los Angeles in 1971.

In 1977 Jim founded Novitas, Inc. and introduced the first occupancy sensor lighting control that year. Jim was President of Novitas, inc. from its inception until it was merged into Cooper Industries in 2005. Novitas invented and produced numerous other innovative energy-efficient lighting controls during this 28 year period.

Jim's name appears on several patents in the controls field including the first automatic wall switch to utilize occupancy sensor technology. In 1984 he wrote key provisions of the California Building Code related to controls and energy efficiency. He has been a member of the California Advanced Lighting Advisory Group, the Southern California Edison Advisory Committee, the Energy Management Committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society and the Board of Directors of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association Lighting Division. He originated and developed the National Energy Conservation Initiative at NEMA which is now known as the "enLIGHTen America" Task Force.

He is survived by his wife, Jill, nieces Patricia Weisbart (John), Julie Reesman, Karen Bush (Robert), Gina Nistico, Jane Nistico, Megan and Mandy Bush; nephews Richard Nistico (Jean), Robert Nistico (Cyndi), Aaron Cardin, Evan Nistico and Jordan Nistico. He was predeceased by his sister, Elaine Nistico, brother-in-law, George Nistico, and nephew, George Nistico, Jr.

Jim's family thanks Dr. Roger Shiffman and the wonderful staff at Pacific Cancer Care as well as the oncology nursing staff at CHOMP and Hospice of the Central Coast for the extraordinary care and support they all provided.