Lynn Yamada Davis, the fun-loving social media star of TikTok's Cooking With Lynja, has died, her family revealed this week. She was 87.
Lynn's son, Tim Davis, shared a video on her account to confirm the news and offer a touching remembrance of his late mom.
"I'm super sad to inform you that Lynja, my mom, unfortunately has passed away," he said on Friday. "Her final moments were super peaceful and thankfully she was surrounded by the people she loved most, her friends and family."
Tim went on to showcase a handful of beloved photographs from Lynn's lifetime, including highlights from her time as a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), running one of eight marathons, and riding a camel during a trip to the United Arab Emirates.
"You’re the best mom I could have ever asked for but an even better friend. I love you mom ❤️," he wrote in the caption.
In an obituary posted by the New York Times, Lynn died on Jan. 1 at Riverview Medical Center in New Jersey. Her daughter, Hannah Mariko Shofet, said that Lynn's cause of death was esophageal cancer.
The Times also spoke with Tim, who started the popular Cooking with Lynja account with his mother as a way to hone his cinematography skills during the pandemic in 2020. The 27-year-old said that Lynn requested he continue posting videos that had already been edited after her death. He will also share a few older videos they made together, but will stop posting once all the existing material has been shared.
"My mom was like my partner in crime," Tim told the outlet.
In 2022, Lynn was celebrated on Forbes' "50 over 50" list. The same year, she and Tim were honored with a Streamy Award for editing and food.
"My mom was so surprised that we won it and she was so happy the rest of the night," Tim recalled in his social media video, sharing a photo from that night.
Lynn Yamada "Lynja" Davis and Tim Davis attend the 2023 Streamy Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on August 27, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Lynn and Tim recently attended the 2023 Streamy Awards in August, and were last photographed two months later at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival's FoodieCon presented by Instagram.
Cooking with Lynja amassed nearly 10 million subscribers on TikTok and more than two million on Instagram.
Lynn Davis of "Cooking With Lynja" speaks onstage during FoodieCon® presented by Instagram as part of the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One at Hard Rock Hotel New York on October 14, 2023 in New York City.
Tim concluded his message by sharing his favorite picture of his late mom, calling her "intelligent and elegant."
"The internet's grandma," he said, becoming emotional. "She was the best. So glad you guys all got to experience what a wonderful person she was. Thank you for these last couple years."
The New York Times notes that Lynn was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019 and with esophageal cancer in 2021. She is survived by her daughter, Hannah, sons Tim and Sean Davis, as well as her second husband, Keith Davis; and another daughter, Becky Steinberg, from her first marriage. She is also survived by two siblings, Jay Yamada and Karen Dolce Yamada; and two grandchildren.
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