Wallace "Wally" Amos, Jr., the founder of the "Famous Amos" cookies, has died, according to CBS News. He was 88.
In a statement on Wednesday (August 14), Amos' family said he died peacefully at home with his wife, Carol, following a battle with dementia.
Amos' beloved cookie brand started with a family recipe and a bakery that opened in 1975 in Hollywood, California.
"Big was in, but Wally Amos dared to go small and perfected the ultimate bite-size chocolate chip cookie," the Famous Amos cookie website states. "Iconic musicians and other Hollywood celebrities began singing the praises of the delicious cookies from a small bakery on Sunset."
Amos later became a proprietor of the Hawaiin cookie shop Chip & Cookie. The entrepreneur was also a co-founder of Uncle Wally's Muffin Co., whose products can also be found in stores across the nation.
"Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs," Amos' family said in a statement. "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."
"He was a true original Black American hero," the family added.
Amos was also a literacy activist, writing eight books, serving as a spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America, and delivering motivational talks to corporations, schools, and more. The Famous Amos founder received the National Literacy Award in 1991, which was presented by former President George H.W. Bush.
"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 said at the time.
Rest in peace, Wally Amos.
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