Wallace “Wally” Amos, the beloved creator of the Famous Amos cookie empire and a passionate advocate for children’s literacy, has passed away at the age of 88.
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Amos, who revolutionized the cookie business and became a cultural icon, died on August 13, 2024, at his home in Honolulu due to complications from dementia. His wife, Carol, was by his side.
Amos was more than just the man behind a successful cookie brand; he was a symbol of entrepreneurial spirit and a source of pride for the Black community.
With his signature Panama hat and infectious optimism, Amos inspired a generation of entrepreneurs when he opened the world’s first cookie store on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1975.
Despite his success, he later lost ownership of the Famous Amos brand and the rights to his own name, a deeply personal loss that marked the remainder of his career.
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Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Amos moved to New York City at the age of 12 after his parents’ divorce. There, his Aunt Della Bryant taught him how to bake chocolate chip cookies, a skill that would later become the foundation of his cookie empire.
After dropping out of high school to join the Air Force, Amos worked his way up from a mailroom clerk to becoming the first Black talent agent at the William Morris Agency, where he represented major acts like The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel, and Marvin Gaye.
In 1977, Amos moved to Hawaii, where he later opened a cookie shop called Chip & Cookie. Although he lost the Famous Amos brand, he continued his love for baking and founded Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co., which became a nationwide success.
Amos’s children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Shawn, remembered their father not just for his business achievements, but for his love of family and his zest for life.
“With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride,” they said in a statement.
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