Famous Amos cookies creator, Wally Amos, dies at 88
He died from complications of dementia, said his family.
By
Julia Yee
August 15, 2024, 10:27 AM
Back in the 1960s, a man named Wally Amos was struggling against the binds of racism in the United States.
Frustrated by the hidden barriers to his career progression as a talent agent in New York, he moved to Los Angeles to start his own agency.
But the stress of keeping his business led him to seek refuge in baking cookies.
Over 50 years later, the unparalleled taste of his cookies found their way into the hearts of many across the globe, keeping the name "Amos" alive, even after his passing.
Died at 88
Amos died on Aug. 13, 2024 (U.S. time) at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, from complications of dementia, according to The New York Times.
He was 88 years old.
He is survived by his children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Shawn Amos.
“With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride,” his children said of their late father.
Amos was married six times to five women, reported ABC News.
His then current wife, Carol, was by his side when he died.
Struggles Famous Amos
Amos founded Famous Amos in 1975 after taking a US$25,000 (S$32,949) loan from his friends.
The brand started off as a humble building on the seedy side of Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.
When the brand shot to fame, however, Amos didn't take too well to being famous.
“I’d lost the company really because I didn’t use to listen to people a lot because I was Famous Amos,” he told NY Times in 1999.
“The first couple of years after I left Famous Amos, I didn’t even make cookies anymore, and I used to always make cookies at home. I didn’t even want to talk about chocolate chip cookies, really. I shaved my beard and stopped wearing hats.”
But the loss of his empire never seemed to faze him.
He just wanted to continue doing what he loved, the way he wanted — baking cookies.
“Being famous is highly — very, very, very highly — overrated,” he said in an interview with a local magazine in 2014.
“I am fortunate that, through all the tribulations, all the ups and downs that I’ve experienced, I still make a cookie that tastes good.”
Top images via @theoriginalcookiekahuna and Google Maps
