American Pickers Star Frank Fritz Passes Away At 60, Now Resting in a Better Place
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of death.
American Pickers star Frank Fritz passed away at 60 after suffering a stroke. On Tuesday, October 1, his former co-star and friend Mike Wolfe, confirmed the news by sharing a tribute post on Instagram. “It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night,” he captioned his post.
Wolfe, who had known Fritz for “more than half” of his life, described the reality star as a “dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny” and was the same both on and off-screen. “Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself,” Wolfe added.
The duo became a household name with their reality show American Pickers, in which they (including Danielle Colby-Cushman) recycled and renovated abandoned relics and vehicles. “Who would have ever dreamed we would share the cockpit of a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in our adventures?” Wolfe said about their show.
Before the show, they would take off to places without any destination in mind but with a hunger and passion to discover “something interesting and historic.” Having covered several miles on their countless trips, Wolfe expressed his gratitude for the experience and to have been by Fritz’s side through and through. “I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know your [sic] in a better place,” he wrote.
The late reality star’s manager, Bill Stankey, shared his condolence in a statement to PEOPLE, describing him as “an exceptional human being” who loved life and cared about people. “He was the anchor of American Pickers. He will be missed by his friends, family, and fans,” Stankey’s statement concluded.
Although Wolfe and Fritz were buddies for a long time, their friendship has had its own ups and downs. However, they reconnected after the latter suffered a severe stroke in 2022. It was Wolfe who shared the news about his former co-star’s health.
“There has been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Frank’s friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend,” he said at the time and requested people to keep him in their prayers.