Sharon Hughes Hiraga
Obituary
Sharon Hughes Hiraga, born Sharon Marie Hughes on October 6, 1941, in Glendale, California, passed away on April 23, 2026, in Watsonville, California, at the age of 84.
She moved with her family to Corralitos, California, around age 7 and graduated from Watsonville High School. In 1962 she married Jerry Broyles, and the couple had two beautiful daughters before divorcing after 11 years of marriage. In 1979 she married Arthur Hiraga. Sharon had a lifelong love of photography and wore many hats throughout her vibrant life. Early in her career, she worked in display and advertising at Ford's Department Store. Together with her husband Art, she founded Bay Views Shopping News. She served as the official photographer for the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds for 30 years and was a talented portrait photographer. Later, she worked at Comerica Bank, retiring about 10 years ago. She also sold antiques and collectibles and volunteered with the Watsonville Lions Club and Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation. This is by no means an exhaustive list of her accomplishments, for there were many. Always ahead of her time, Sharon was a proponent of shopping local and supporting small businesses.
She is survived by her husband, Arthur Hiraga; children, Allison Broyles Deal and Kimbel St. James; sister, Jeanne Johnson; grandchildren, Scott Sudderth, Jerry Blake, Haiden Deal, Sakura Deal, and Simon Deal; and great-grandchild, Iris.
She was preceded in death by her father, Fred Hughes; mother, Virginia Aydellotte; brothers, Bill Hughes and Robert Aydellotte; and sister, Margaret Wagner.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Published in The Pajaronian · May 4, 2026