Wally Amos, literacy advocate and founder of the Famous Amos cookie brand, died Wednesday at this home, ABC News reported. He was 88 and suffered from complications due to dementia before his passing.
Born Wallace Amos, Jr., the cookie entrepreneur forged a path to success nearly 50 years ago. Amos began his life in Tallahassee, Florida, but would build the brand that would make him famous with his first shop in 1975 in Hollywood, California.
As People reported, Amos made $300,000 in the company's first year and would reach $12 million by year five. In making his cookies free of preservatives and all-natural, Amos was ahead of his time.
Amos would become known not only for his confections but also for community outreach. In 1981, Amos became a spokesman for the Literacy Volunteers of America to inspire people with his passion for reading and writing.
Amos was a beloved icon in business and culture not only because of his cookies but also for his public service and quirky persona. After his passing, Ferrero Group, which now owns the Famous Amos brand, shared a tribute to the late cookie mogul on Instagram.
"Ferrero and the Famous Amos team are saddened by the loss of Wally Amos and our thoughts are with his family. He brought joy to millions with his cookies and is an inspiration to generations of entrepreneurs," the company wrote.
"We will continue to work to honor his legacy," the post added. After selling his brand to the company in the 1980s amid financial difficulties, Amos would later become a pitchman for the company.
Amos' children also shared fond remembrances of their late father, whom they said died "peacefully" at home. "Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs," they told CBS News.
"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." Amos has four grown children: Michael Amos, Gregory Amos, Sarah Amos, and Shawn Amos.
Wally Amos got his start as a talent agent. He signed acts like the Supremes and Simon and Garfunkel when they were still unknown. However, he would find that his most profound passion was for baking.
"I began to bake as a hobby; it was a kind of therapy. I'd go to meetings with record company or movie people and bring along some cookies, and pretty soon everybody was asking for them," Amos recalled in a 1975 interview.
Eventually, Amos would start his cookie enterprise with the help of music greats Helen Reddy and Marvin Gaye. They gave him $25,000 to start the business that would become Amos' most successful endeavor.
Amos would contribute to the culture with his book The Path to Success is Paved with Positive Thinking and cookbook The Cookie Never Crumbles. These works combined Amos' favorite hobbies and cemented his legacy as a literacy advocate.
From his delicious cookies to his community work, Amos shared his gifts generously with the world. With his passing, it's clear that the man who became Famous Amos also left the world a better place.
