Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr., founding father of the “Famous Amos” cookies identified and beloved nationwide, died at 88 on Wednesday, his household stated.
The American entrepreneur died peacefully at his house together with his spouse Carol by his aspect after a battle with dementia, Amos’ kids, Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn, stated in a press release.
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Amos constructed his model from one bakery in 1975 in Hollywood, California, and a household recipe.
“Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs,” his kids stated, including, “With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride. It’s also part of our family story for which we will forever be grateful and proud.”
“Big was in, but Wally Amos dared to go small and perfected the ultimate bite-size chocolate chip cookie,” the model’s web site says. After that, Amos and his cookies grew to become a Hollywood success story. “Iconic musicians and other Hollywood celebrities began singing the praises of the delicious cookies from a small bakery on Sunset,” the web site says.
In his later years, Amos grew to become a proprietor of a cookie store known as Chip & Cookie in Hawaii, the place he moved in 1977, the Related Press reported. He was additionally a co-founder of Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co., whose merchandise are additionally present in shops nationwide.
However Amos stated the celebrity by no means actually mattered a lot to him. “Being famous is highly overrated anyway,” Amos instructed The Related Press in 2007.
Wally’s son Shawn, a blues musician and creator, helped create the primary store in Hollywood together with his father. Shawn Amos’ ebook, Cookies and Milk, printed in 2022, is predicated partially on his experiences rising up because the son of the Well-known Amos founder.
“It’s a book about joy, it’s a book about fathers and sons who want to be seen by each other,” he stated on CBS Mornings.
Shawn stated he labored the entrance of the shop whereas his father baked cookies within the again.
Amos’ kids praised their father for educating them the worth of laborious work, believing in themselves, and chasing their goals. “He was a true original Black American hero,” they stated of their assertion.
Amos was additionally an lively promoter of studying. He wrote eight books, served as spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America for twenty-four years and delivered motivational talks to firms, universities and different teams, AP reported. His volunteerism earned him the Nationwide Literacy Award, which was offered to him by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, in response to AP.
“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,” Bush stated.
This story was initially printed by CBS Information on Aug. 14, 2024.
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