Sharon W. Kajiwara, who owned Arthur Kajiwara Equipment along with her husband — the business’s name-sake — passed away at Providence St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, CA, in March at the age of 77.
She was born to Edwin Wong Aloiau and Violet Hee in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1944. Upon graduating in 1961 from Kalani High School there, she moved to the mainland in order to attend Woodbury University in Los Angeles, CA.
While there, she met he future hus¬band, Arthur, who shared her passion for entrepreneurship.
Over the years, she had operated several home based businesses ranging from Princess House to Martin Sun-glasses to tupperware and jewelry sales, establishing a network of contacts and many lifelong friends. However, in 1964 — the same year she married Arthur — the pair launched their biggest venture together: the Arthur Kajiwara Equipment Co. in South El Monte, CA.
The company specializes in in¬stalling laundry and drycleaning equipment and is a license contractor in California, Arizona and Hawaii.
That venture was hardly the last one the couple launched together. Over the years, the couple engaged in many other successful entrepreneurial enterprises, owning several 1 Hour Photo stores, a drycleaning business, and, more re¬cently, they opened a drycleaning/scrap¬book/gift shop called This N’ That.
In addition to her penchant for es¬tablishing well respected businesses, family was incredibly important to Sharon, a.k.a. “Mama.” She will be fondly remembered as a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother.
She is survived by her husband, Arthur; son Lance and Tammy Kaji¬wara; daughters: Diana and Chad Har¬rell; Debra and Ken Johnson; and Kari and Jason Williams; grandchildren: Magdalena, Miranda and Joshua Kaji¬wara; Keilani, Kekoa and Kale’a John¬son; and Tyler Williams; brothers: Edwin Aloiau, Jr.; Walter Aloiau; and Alan and Joanne Aloiau; and niece and nephew Arissa and Archer Aloiau.