© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Wally Amos, creator of Famous Amos cookies, has died

Wally Amos pictured in 2007 in his home office in the Lanikai section of Kailua, Hawaii.
Lucy Pemoni
/
AP
Wally Amos pictured in 2007 in his home office in the Lanikai section of Kailua, Hawaii.

Wally Amos, the entrepreneur behind the Famous Amos cookie enterprise, has died. He was 88 years old.

His cause of death was dementia, his children 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,” said children Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn Amos.

“Our dad taught us the value of hard work, believing in ourselves, and chasing our dreams.”

Amos dedicated his life to making the perfect cookie and told NPR back in 2008 that the secret ingredient in his world-famous baked goods was love.

“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,” he said at the time.

While most people today will associate the Famous Amos brand with the yellow-boxed cookies that line the grocery store snack aisle, Amos' vision started in 1975 as a brick-and-mortar cookie shop in Los Angeles.

Using his aunt’s homemade recipe, the cookies were a hit and business boomed. But after declining sales in the late 1980s, Amos ultimately sold the company.

He later moved to Hawaii where he would continue baking his famous confections.

The family said Amos died at home peacefully with his wife, Carol, by his side. They suggested that in lieu of sending flowers, people could donate to the Alzheimer's Association in his memory.

“We also know he would love it if you had a chocolate chip cookie today.”

Copyright 2024 NPR

Alana Wise
Alana Wise is a politics reporter on the Washington desk at NPR.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content