‘Cooking with Lynja’ TikTok star dead at 67 from cancer: ‘She had the time of her life’
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A beloved grandma known for the viral cooking videos she shared with her nearly 30 million followers on social media has died from esophageal cancer at the age of 67.
Lynn Yamada Davis — from “Cooking with Lynja” — died on New Year’s Day at Riverview Medical Center in New Jersey.
“Her final moments were super peaceful and she was surrounded by the people she loved most, her friends and family,” her son, Tim Davis, who helped her create content, said in a video posted on her Instagram.
“I’m so glad that you guys got to experience how wonderful of a person she was and that you guys treated her so well,” he said through tears.
The grieving son called the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate the “best mom I could have ever asked for, but an even better friend,” in the caption.
His brother, Sean Davis, said Lynja had “everything she could have ever wanted” by the time she died, saying she had “the time of her life cooking, meeting great people, eating incredible food, traveling to amazing places, and most importantly to her, bringing joy to people everywhere.”
Davis had garnered nearly 19 million followers on TikTok and 2.3 million on Instagram before her death and had started the account in 2020 with Tim to help keep up his cinematology skills during the pandemic, he told the New York Times.
The native New Yorker’s account got her on Forbes’ 50 Over 50 list and won her a Streamy Award.
Davis graduated from MIT with a civil engineering degree in 1977, before getting her graduate degree in public health at Columbia University, Sean said.
She worked for Bell Labs, now AT&T Labs, before her TikTok fame, according to the Times.
“She had this whole chapter as a groundbreaking female engineer, and she was very proud of that,” daughter Hannah Mariko Shofet told the Times.
She volunteered as an EMT for more than 20 years and even served as a captain and continued to answer calls as recently as three months ago.
She also ran in eight marathons and blew her knee out in her last one at mile seven, Sean said.
“But knew there were family and friends there, so despite the pain, still finished,” he wrote. “She could never run again, but found a way to walk 10-15 miles daily on the treadmill before we would leave for school in the morning.”
Sean also revealed that outside of cooking and running, the TikTok sensation loved to scuba dive and go skiing.
She was also Sean’s first soccer coach. He went on to play the sport professionally for the New York Red Bulls before moving on to the Nashville Soccer Club, according to the Times.
After the family’s announcement, many content creator chefs took to the comment section to honor the viral star.
Nick Digiovanni, who posted a tribute video to his frequent collaborator, said: “You probably knew her as the fun-loving cooking grandma, but I’ll always remember her fighting off her cancer diagnosis for as long as she could.”
He shared a montage of them together, including enjoying fries and Krispy Kreme in New York City, as well as other memories.
Nigel Ng, known as “Mr. Roger,” wrote: I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Gianluca Conte, known as “QCP” online, called Davis the “sweetest woman ever.”
“Was such an honor to make content with her. Her legacy is forever. Love you Tim and Lynja. You guys changed the world.”
Andy Hearnden, an Australian cook, wrote: “Your Mom was a ray of sunshine and one of the truly funny ones. May she rest in peace.”
Carleigh Bodrug, who is known for her “scrappy cooking,” said she was “bawling” after hearing the news.
“As I grapple with my own mom’s cancer diagnosis, this is a sentiment that has helped me in many days of darkness,” she wrote. “May Lynja rest in paradise.”
Chef Joshua Weissman called Davis an “unforgettable woman” and wished the family his condolences.
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