Following a long and courageous fight against dementia, the American businessman passed away in the comfort of his own home, with his wife Carol at his side.
Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr., the creator of the “Famous Amos” cookies, which are well-known and cherished all across the country, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 88, according to his family.
According to a statement released by Amos’ children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Shawn, the American businessman passed away in a calm and serene manner at his home, with his wife Carol at his side. He had lost his fight with dementia.
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Amos established his business in 1975 by opening a bakery in Hollywood, California, using a recipe that had been passed down through his family.
According to his daughters, “Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs,” and they went on to say that Famous Amos was a tremendous American success story and a source of Black pride. Famous Amos was known for his Panama hat, kazoo, and unbounded optimism. Additionally, it is a part of our family’s history, for which we will be thankful and proud for the rest of our lives.
“Big was in, but Wally Amos dared to go small and perfected the ultimate bite-size chocolate chip cookie,” according to the company’s online advertisement. Once that happened, Amos and his cookies became a well-known and successful tale in Hollywood. “Iconic musicians and other Hollywood celebrities began singing the praises of the delicious cookies from a small bakery on Sunset,” according to the information on the website.
According to a report by the Associated Press, Amos went to Hawaii in 1977 and shortly thereafter opened a cookie store known as Chip & Cookie. In his latter years, Amos became the owner of the business. Additionally, he was a co-founder of Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company, whose goods can be purchased at retail establishments all over the countries.
Amos, on the other hand, said that celebrity was never something that was very important to him. “Being famous is highly overrated anyway,” Amos said the Associated Press in the year 2007.
Shawn, Wally’s son, is a blues musician and novelist. He was a co-founder of the first business in Hollywood, which he helped establish with his father. The book Cookies and Milk, which was written by Shawn Amos and released in 2022, is mostly based on his experiences as a child growing up as the son of the founder of Famous Amos.
“It’s a book about joy, it’s a book about fathers and sons who want to be seen by each other,” he said on CBS Mornings. “It’s a book about joy.”
The front of the business was where Shawn worked, while his father was in the back baking cookies, according to Shawn.
The children of Amos expressed their gratitude to their father for instilling in them the importance of perseverance, self-confidence, and being determined to achieve their goals. “He was a true original Black American hero,” they stated in their statement after the event.
Amos was also a someone who actively encouraged others to read. The Associated Press claimed that he was the author of eight books, that he was the spokesman for Literacy Volunteers of America for a period of twenty-four years, and that he gave motivational presentations to firms, colleges, and other organizations. According to the Associated Press, the National Literacy Award was bestowed to him in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush of the United States of America in recognition of his voluntary work.
“Your greatest contribution to your country is not your signature straw hat in the Smithsonian, but the people you have inspired to learn to read,” according to President Bush.
