Famous Amos Cookies Founder Wallace Amos Jr Dead At 88

Wallace Amos Jr., the founder of Famous Amos cookies, has died at home after a battle with dementia. Amos's family said in a statement to NPR that his wife, Carol, was at his side when he died. He was 88.

Wallace, affectionately known as "Wally" Amos, was known for his cookie empire which began with a brick-and-mortar shop that opened in 1975 in Hollywood, California on Sunset Blvd. Famous Amos cookies are recognizable for their beige packaging and blue-and-white logo.

"With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride," read the statement from the Amos family. "It's also a part of our family story for which we will forever be grateful and proud. Our dad taught us the value of hard work, believing in ourselves, and chasing our dreams. He was a true original Black American hero."

The Amos family, including Wallace Amos's children Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Shawn Amos, have asked that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association in lieu of flowers. "We also know he would love it if you had a chocolate chip cookie today."

Using his aunt's homemade cookie recipe (and the not-so-secret ingredient of love), Wally Amos dedicated his life to making world-famous cookies. In 2008, he told NPR that love was the key to his success.

"I think it's important to love what you do because that love is transferred to what you do, and it turns it into something absolutely fantastic," Amos said at the time. In 1987, Wallace received the Horatio Alger Award recognizing him as a "Messenger of Inspiration." The award is given to individuals who are "contemporary role models whose experiences exemplify that opportunities for a successful life are available to all individuals who are dedicated to the principles of integrity, hard work, perseverance and compassion for others," per the association's website.

In addition to his cookie entrepreneurship, Amos devoted his time to literacy efforts, serving on several boards and founding the Chip & Cookie Read Aloud Foundation with his wife, an organization that promotes reading to children. Amos also authored eight books in his lifetime including, "The Famous Amos Story: The Face that Launched a Thousand Chips," "The Cookie Never Crumbles: Inspirational Recipes for Every Day Living," and "Live an Inspiring Life: Ten Secret Ingredients for Inner Strength."

Eventually, Amos sold Famous Amos cookies in the late 1980s. He then moved to Hawaii where he lived the rest of his life.