Wallace “Wally” Amos Jr., the founder of the beloved cookie brand Famous Amos, has died at the age of 88 due to complications with dementia, his family has confirmed.
Amos passed away on Aug. 13 at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, with his wife, Carol, by his side.
“Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs,” his children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Shawn Amos, wrote in a statement shared with The Epoch Times via email.
“With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride,” they said. “It’s also part of our family story for which we will forever be grateful and proud.”
Born on July 1, 1936, Amos grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, until his parents’ divorce in 1948. At the age of 12, Amos was sent to New York City to live with his aunt, Della Bryant, who taught him how to bake cookies.
“We certainly had no monetary wealth, but Aunt Della’s home was always rich in the principles and qualities vital to a child’s upbringing,” Amos previously shared. “And it was filled with the aroma of her delicious chocolate chip cookies.”
After dropping out of high school in 1953, Amos enlisted in the Air Force, serving at the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii until 1957, during which time he earned his GED, according to the military branch.
Upon being honorably discharged, Amos returned to New York City and secured a job as a mailroom clerk at the William Morris Agency. Less than a year later, Amos moved up the ranks to become a talent agent, representing a variety of famous artists including Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, and Simon & Garfunkel.
Amos later moved to Los Angeles, where he opened a bakery on Sunset Boulevard in 1975, drawing inspiration from his aunt’s baked treats.
“Big was in, but Wally Amos dared to go small and perfected the ultimate bite-size chocolate chip cookie. He used only the best ingredients from an original family recipe to create the cookie you know and love,” reads Famous Amos’s website. “From there, the Famous Amos story became a Hollywood success story. Iconic musicians and other Hollywood celebrities began singing the praises of the delicious cookies from a small bakery on Sunset.”
Life After Famous Amos
Amos’s cookie business wasn’t without its downfalls. Amid financial difficulties, Amos pursued external investments for Famous Amos, leading investors to eventually buy out the entrepreneur’s complete stake in the brand.
The entrepreneur went on to found other companies to sell cookies and other baked goods, including Chip & Cookie and Uncle Noname Cookie Co., which he later renamed Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co.
In October 2016, Amos appeared on the eighth season of the hit reality show “Shark Tank,” seeking $50,000 from investors for a 20 percent stake in his new cookie brand, The Cookie Kahuna.
“I’ve been selling cookies for 40 years. And for a long time, I actually thought I was selling cookies, but it occurred to me that I wasn’t selling cookies, I was selling happiness,” he said during the episode.
Amos later reflected on some of the factors that led up to his loss of ownership at Famous Amos. “I’m not a business guy, and my focus was not on how much money I was going to make,” he said. “I just wanted to have a good time.”
The entrepreneur said Famous Amos exchanged ownership five different times. The company was helmed by The Shansby Group, the President Baking Company, and the Keebler Company before being purchased by the Ferrero Group—its current owner—in July 2019.
Upon hearing news of Amos’s passing, the Ferrero Group took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late founder.
“Ferrero and the Famous Amos team are saddened by the loss of Wally Amos and our thoughts are with his family,” the company wrote. “He brought joy to millions with his cookies and is an inspiration to generations of entrepreneurs. We will continue to work to honor his legacy.”
In addition to his cookie pursuits, Amos was a children’s literacy advocate, serving as a spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America for almost three decades and the host of the 1987 educational television series “Learn to Read.”
Amos also authored many books, including “The Famous Amos Story: The Face That Launched a Thousand Chips” (1983), co-written by Leroy Robinson, “The Power in You” (1988), “Man With No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade” (1994), “The Cookie Never Crumbles: Practical Recipes for Everyday Living” (2001), co-written by Eden-Lee Murray, and “The Path to Success Is Paved with Positive Thinking” (2008), co-written by Stu Glauberman.
In lieu of flowers, Amos’s family has asked that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in his honor.
“We also know he would love it if you had a chocolate chip cookie today,” his children wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.