Wally Amos, the entrepreneur behind the Famous Amos cookie enterprise, has passed away at the age of 88.

His children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Shawn Amos, described him as a great American success story and a source of Black pride, known for his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism.

Amos dedicated his life to perfecting the cookie, believing that the secret ingredient in his world-famous baked goods was love.

He once said, '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.

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

Using his aunt’s homemade recipe, the cookies were a hit, and the business thrived.

However, after declining sales in the late 1980s, Amos ultimately sold the company.

The family stated that Amos died peacefully at home with his wife, Carol, by his side.

They suggested that, instead of sending flowers, people could donate to the Alzheimer's Association in his memory.