Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos cookies, dies at 88

New York
CNN
 — 

Wally Amos, the charismatic founding father of Well-known Amos cookies, has died at age 88, in keeping with a press release signed by his kids.

Within the assertion, his kids stated the trigger was problems of dementia. “He was a real authentic Black American hero,” stated the assertion, signed “Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn Amos.”

“Together with his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Well-known Amos was a terrific American success story, and a supply of Black delight,” the assertion stated.

Amos opened his bakery in 1975 on Sundown Boulevard in Los Angeles, promoting bite-sized chocolate chip cookies that have been a novelty for the time, in keeping with the corporate’s website. The bakery, whose cookies have been developed from a household recipe, attracted Hollywood celebrities and musicians.

Ferrero, Well-known Amos’ present proprietor, stated it was “saddened by the lack of Wally Amos and our ideas are along with his household,” in a social media publish. “He introduced pleasure to tens of millions along with his cookies and is an inspiration to generations of entrepreneurs.”

Amos was born in Tallahassee, Florida.

Well-known Amos wasn’t only a enterprise, he stated in a 1991 Detroit Black Journal interview.

“I began making cookies simply to make a residing and to be comfortable doing what I used to be doing,” Amos stated within the interview. “And I simply, I used to be so dedicated and so concerned and so joyous about it.”

From there, he created a cookie empire.

“I didn’t say, ‘Hey, I’m going to go within the cookie enterprise, make some huge cash, , promote out of cookies.’ I stated, ‘Effectively, do one thing I like the way in which I wish to do it,’ , I’m going to have enjoyable doing it,” Amos stated within the interview.

Amos was additionally a determine in US popular culture. He famously appeared in a cameo within the sitcom “The Workplace” to pleasure and applause from the forged members. Earlier than that, he additionally appeared on “The Jeffersons” and “Taxi.”

Amos offered the cookie model to a non-public fairness group in 1988 after years of economic struggles for the corporate.