Lynn Yamada Davis, a social media star known for her fast-paced and eccentric “Cooking With Lynja” online tutorials, has died.
Hannah Shofet, Davis' eldest daughter, confirmed to the Times on Friday that her mother died Jan. 1 at Riverview Medical Center in New Jersey from esophageal cancer. She was 67 years old.
In a phone interview, Shofet celebrated Davis for being “a true example of having a family and also following your dreams.” She also praised her mother for representing older women and Japanese culture on social media.
“When she went to award shows or was invited to these amazing things, it was cool that she was an older Asian-American woman who was doing these things in the spotlight,” Shofet said.
In a tribute posted Friday to Davis' YouTube channel, his son Tim Davis recalled his “peaceful” final moments and shared several photos of the social media sensation throughout his life.
Tim, holding a recent photograph of his mother, said she looked “so smart and elegant in this photo.”
“When I think about my mom, I think about her,” he said. “The grandmother of the Internet. She was the best. I am so glad that they were able to experience what a wonderful person she was and that they treated her so well.”
Davis was a maverick when it came to short cooking tutorials on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. In 2020, he started his YouTube channel “Cooking With Lynja”, in collaboration with Tim, who was a freelance videographer at the time. Amid the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, he served up delicious recipes and Gen Z humor in the form of quirky, over-the-top edits and cheeky jokes. He earned over 9.6 million subscribers on YouTube, 2.2 million followers on Instagram, and 17.6 million followers on TikTok.
In addition to Shofet, Davis is survived by her husband Keith Davis, daughter Becky Steinberg, sons Tim Davis and Sean Davis, and siblings Jay Yamada and Karen Yamada Dolce.
The family already held a funeral for the TikTok star. They noted that fans can donate to the Monmouth County SPCA or the Monmouth & Ocean chapter of food charity FulFill in honor of Davis.
This story is developing.
