William "Bill" Post, the man credited with having a key role in the invention of the Pop-Tart, died on Feb. 10. He was 96.
Post was one of seven children raised by Dutch immigrants in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Described as having an "extraordinary life" with "legendary accomplishments," he was known for being quite humble. Although credited with inventing the sweet treat, Post often referred to it as a team effort, saying, "I assembled an amazing team that developed Kellogg’s concept of a shelf-stable toaster pastry into a fine product that we could bring to market in the span of just four months," according to his obituary.
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Pop-Tarts hit store shelves in 1964, and have since become synonymous with breakfast and snack time.
Post worked part-time during high school washing trucks at the Hekman Biscuit Company, later known as The Keebler Company. After serving in the Army Air Corps in occupied Japan, he returned to his part-time job and attended Calvin College. He married his high school sweetheart, Florence, who died in 2020.
At 21 years old, Post began climbing the ranks at Hekman as a full-time personnel manager. Twenty years later, as Hekman's plant manager, he "welcomed some executives from Kellogg’s who asked if he thought it would be possible for Keebler to create a new product they had in mind," the obituary said.
Kellogg Chairman William LaMothe, who later became Post's friend, was one of the executives who visited. LaMothe envisioned transforming "breakfast into a toaster-ready rectangle that could go anywhere," and sought help from a kitchen crew, according to the company's website.
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It is at that point that Post "is often credited for having ‘invented’ the Pop Tart," according to his obituary.
In 1967, Post moved to Elmhurst, Illinois, to work at the corporate offices of Keebler as a senior vice president. He retired at 56 and moved to Glen Arbor, Michigan. Eventually, Post and his wife moved to Grand Rapids to be near family.
After his retirement, Post worked as a consultant for Kellogg's for about 20 years. He frequently told his Pop-Tarts story to students, and brought some of his "unending supply" along with him.
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Post's six siblings and their spouses preceded him in death.
He is survived by his children, Dan and Jackie Post and Rachel and John DeYoung, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to the obituary.
