Lynn Yamada Davis, known by her social media followers as “Cooking with Lynja,” passed away at 67 on January 1, 2024, due to esophageal cancer.
Her son, Tim Davis, affirmed her death in a moving video tribute. Davis departed at the Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, New Jersey, in the presence of her family.
Born in New York City, New York, on July 31, 1956, Davis spent her formative years in Fort Lee, New Jersey. She was a third-generation Japanese American.
She graduated in 1977 with a degree in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and furthered her education by obtaining a master’s degree in both business administration and public health from the Columbia Business School.
Davis had a remarkable career at Bell Labs, now known as AT&T Labs, where she dedicated 29 years, earning recognition for her groundbreaking work as a female engineer.
Her introduction to social media stardom began in 2020 when she and her son Tim began making cooking videos to hone his cinematography skills amidst the pandemic.
Her online endeavors resulted in close to 19 million TikTok followers and more than 2 million on Instagram. Her YouTube channel also garnered significant attention, amassing 10 million subscribers. Davis’ warm and engaging presence in her videos earned her the affectionate title of “internet’s grandma.”
Beyond her vast social media following, Davis was recognized for her collaborations with other content creators, including former “MasterChef” finalist Nick DiGiovanni. In August 2022, they set a Guinness World Record for the most fast-food restaurants visited in 24 hours. They also crafted the World’s Largest Cake Pop and Chicken Nugget.
Despite her 2019 throat cancer diagnosis and subsequent esophageal cancer diagnosis in 2021, Davis continued to delight and inspire her followers with her culinary prowess and humor. Her son Tim intends to preserve her legacy by releasing the remaining videos they shot together.
Davis is survived by her second husband, Keith Davis; her children, Tim and Sean Davis, daughters Hannah Mariko Shofet and Becky Steinberg; her siblings Jay Yamada and Karen Dolce Yamada; and two grandchildren.
