William Post Obituary

William “Bill” Post, a pivotal figure in the development of Pop-Tarts, the iconic pre-cooked, frosted toaster pastries from Kellogg, has passed away at the age of 96.

Post is recognized for his integral role within the Kellogg team, which responded to a novel process developed by a competitor (unrelated to the Post family) for dehydrating dog food, by innovating a similar method for creating a pastry suitable for the breakfast market. This involved enclosing the pastry in foil to maintain its freshness.

Pop-Tarts, a name later adopted by an all-girl Berlin garage band, entered the US market in 1964. Post, initially a truck washer who transitioned to become a plant manager at Hekman Biscuit Company, played a crucial part in welcoming the idea from Kellogg’s executives for a new product.

Collaborating with William LaMothe, Post led what he described as “an amazing team” in transforming Kellogg’s concept of a shelf-stable toaster pastry into a viable product ready for market launch within a mere four months, as documented by Legacy.com.

The initial market release of Pop-Tarts featured four flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple-currant. Over time, the product line expanded to include between 20 and 30 flavors available at any given time.

Post, hailing from the south side of Grand Rapids and raised as one of seven children of Dutch immigrants, also served in the US Army Air Corps. Following his retirement, he assumed the role of a brand ambassador for Kellogg’s.

Legacy.com recounted his post-retirement activities, noting that Post enthusiastically shared the Pop-Tart story with countless young audiences in classrooms, seizing every opportunity to relay his gratitude for divine providence as “the son of an immigrant.” He often brought along an ample supply of Pop-Tarts to share during these engagements.