You've probably had a Red Solo Cup in your hand at one point in your life. Its creator Robert Hulseman died Dec. 21 at age 84. Photos courtesy of Solo Cup Co. and Donnellan Funeral Home

SKOKIE, Ill., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Robert Hulseman, 84, creator of the iconic red Solo cup, a crucial element of parties and Beer Pong, died last week, a Chicago funeral home announced.

Hulseman, a resident of Chicago and Scottsdale, Ariz., began work at the Solo Cup Co., owned by his father, at age 18. He was president and CEO and "oversaw the company's growth into one of the largest foodservice packaging companies in the world," before his retirement after 60 years with the business, Donnellan Family Funeral Services of Skokie, Ill., noted in his obituary. He died on Dec. 21 in Scottsdale, and was buried Tuesday in Des Plaines, Ill.


His enduring legacy is the red plastic cup with rings on its side to indicate ounces poured. The stackable, disposable cup is a fixture at parties and the subject of a laudatory song by country artist Toby Keith, who referred to it as "the best receptacle for barbecues, tailgates, fairs and festivals" ... among other things.

Hulseman is also credited with inventing the "Traveler Lid," the plastic cup cover enabling commuters to sip as they drive.

He is survived by nine children and 30 grandchildren. His wife of 60 years, Sheila Murphy Hulseman, died in 2015.

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