Pop-Tart Inventor William Post Dies at 96

William "Bill" Post, who is credited with creating the iconic breakfast food the Pop-Tart, has passed away at the age of 96. The news was broken via a local obituary from The Grand Rapids Press, which revealed that he passed away on Saturday, February 10th. 

Born on June 27, 1927 in Michigan to Dutch immigrants, Post grew up in the Grand Rapids area, getting a truck-washing job at the Hekman Biscuit Company at the age of 16. He continued the job he returned from the Army Air Corps in Japan, eventually getting promoted to a personnel manager at Hekman at the age of 21. Hekman eventually became the Keebler Company, and the company began to collaborate with Kellogg's on a new breakfast product in the early 1960s. Post, who was plant manager at the time, helped spearhead the team that created the Pop-Tart, with the whole project taking four months. Originally dubbed by Post as "fruit scones," the item became the Pop-Tart and became an instant success.

"There were so many naysayers," Post said in a 2021 interview with WWMT. "Some of my good friends would say, 'I don't know Bill.' They would tell us it's not such a good idea."

Kellogg's eventually purchased the Keebler company, which led to Post and his family moving to Elmhurst, Illinois, where he operated as senior vice president until his retirement at the age of 56. He then returned to the company as a consultant, holding the position for another 20 years. After his retirement, he moved to Glen Arbor, and then back to Grand Rapids in 2003 in order to be closer to his family.

Outside of his work at Kellogg's, Post served as a board member for schools, churches, and the YMCA. He is survived by his two children, four grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. 

The story of the creation of Pop-Tarts is expected to be dramatized in Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story, a new Netflix film starring and directed by Jerry Seinfeld. The film, which will arrive on May 3rd, features an ensemble cast that includes Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Adrian Martinez, Bobby Moynihan, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater, Sarah Cooper, and Maria Bakalova. It is unknown at this point if Post will be included in the movie, and who the fictional version of himself will be portrayed by.

"It's a real homage to classic older movies that are funny, with big, huge all-star cast," actor Adrian Martinez told ComicBook.com in a previous interview. "I was just grateful to be a part of it."

Our thoughts are with Post's family, friends, and fans at this time.