CREMATION URN-PRINGLES CAN
The Man Buried in a Pringles Can
Fredric Baur dreamed up the original Pringles can, in 1966. And his family though that it was only right that he be buried in one, especially since it was his wish.
The hard decision was what flavor for his crematory urn…finally “ORIGINAL” was decided upon. And that is where he wound up. The man in the can.
The family stopped at a local drug store to pick out his Pringles can or rather cremation urn, in route to the funeral pallor.
It is not know if those Pringles were eaten in route to the funneral palor or if Pringles were served at the reception, later.
Mr. Baur was 89 years young and lost his life, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
Although Fredric Baur had a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and served in the Navy as an aviation physiologist, the Pringles can proved his biggest triumph.
He also invented a freeze~dried, just~add~milk ice cream product called Coldsnap. Despite a product team that included a young Steve Ballmer (now Microsoft’s CEO), it was not the hit that Pringles was.
Even though the Pringles can helped inspire a burst of innovation, in supermarket product packaging…it was not popular at first. Every one wanted the old bag with it’s broken chips…go figure, people always fight change and progress…me…I just hate cell phones!
Among Mr. Baurs other inventions were :
Method Soap
Design Innovation: Reimagined flat, drab soap dispensers as sleek, rounded objects of translucent elegance and refinement.
Swiffer
Design Innovation: Stuffed a mop into a box.
Heinz Top~Down Ketchup
Design Innovation: Fixed the stuck ketchup problem by following the lead of toothpaste and shampoo containers. In other words, Heinz finally turned the bottle upside down.
Tic Tac
Design Innovation: Rebranded mints with an identifiable sound, a catchy name and a clear, pocket fitting rectangular box. The same marketers who brought Nutella to the U.S. made these miniature pill shaped breath fresheners the candy world’s cutest 60’s icons.
I will never look at another Pringles can again and not think of it’s handy and inexpensive use as a cremation urn.
Personal Footnote: I prefer the cheese and ranch pringles…I am glad they did not choose that can for his final resting place.
Rest peacefully in your “Original” Pringles can, Fredric Baur…Pringles are still on the shelf and going strong! And your 60’s Icons and humor will remembered for a long time.
~The Baby Boomer Queen~
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Fredric Baur dreamed up the original Pringles can, in 1966. And his family though that it was only right that he be buried in one, especially since it was his wish.
The hard decision was what flavor for his crematory urn…finally “ORIGINAL” was d…