William ‘Bill’ Post, Credited with Inventing the Pop-Tart, Dead at 96

William “Bill” Post, the inventor of the Pop-Tart, died Saturday, MKD Funeral Home of Michigan confirmed to PEOPLE. He was 96 years old.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news that William ‘Bill’ Post passed away over the weekend,” Kellanova, the current maker of Pop-Tarts, told PEOPLE in a statement. “He played an important role in co-creating the iconic Pop-Tarts brand, and we are grateful to Bill for his legacy and lasting contributions to our company.”

Post was born to Dutch immigrants on June 27, 1927, and grew up in Grand Rapids, according to his obituary released by the funeral home. His career in the food industry began when he was 16 years old, washing trucks for a regional bakery, the Hekman Biscuit Company, which eventually became the American maker of Keebler cookies.

He then served in the Air Force during World War II. After returning to his home country, he attended Calvin College while returning to work at the Hekman Biscuit Company.

At the age of 21, he continued to work in the company as plant director. Two decades later, Kellogg’s executives asked him if Keebler could collaborate on a new product Kellogg’s wanted to launch — the Pop-Tart.

William Post.

MKD Funeral Homes

Tribute to celebrities who died in 2024

According to the obituary, the popular pastry was originally called “Fruit Scones” before being revamped to pay homage to the pop art trend.

“It was at this point that Bill is often credited with inventing the Pop Tart. Bill would say, ‘I assembled an incredible team that developed Kellogg’s shelf-stable toaster dough concept into a fine product that we could bring to market in just four of the month’, his obituary read.

Stock image of Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts.

Newscast/Universal Images Group via Getty

Three years after launching the original Pop-Tarts, the Post family moved to Illinois so Bill could work in the Keebler corporate office.

He climbed the ranks, served as a senior vice president, and then retired at age 56. However, Kellogg then hired him to serve as a consultant – a position he held for the next 20 years. Two years after Kellogg bought Keebler in 2001, Post and his wife, Florence, returned to Grand Rapids.

Post and his wife were married for 72 years before she died in 2020.

He is survived by his two children, Dan Post and Rachel DeYoung, and their spouses, Jackie Post and John DeYoung, as well as his seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The story behind Post’s invention is described in an upcoming Netflix comedy Unfrosted: A Pop-Tart Story. The film stars Jerry Seinfeld and is scheduled to premiere on May 3.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education