Frank Fritz, one of many co-hosts of American Pickers, has died at age 60, two years after he suffered a critical stroke. He was 60 years outdated.
Fritz appeared in 308 episodes of the favored Historical past Channel present alongside his co-star Mike Wolfe, earlier than leaving American Pickers in 2021. The pair travelled round America on the lookout for uncommon artifacts and treasures to promote or add to their private collections.
“This can be a very powerful announcement to make,” reads a put up on the Fb web page, Frank Fritz Buddies. “Frank handed away final night time round 7:30.”
One other put up on the web page added that Fritz “handed away peacefully surrounded by his closest pals.”
“He fought a valiant battle the final two years with many ups and downs however finally the mixture of the extreme stroke and his Crohn’s illness was simply an excessive amount of for his physique to bear.”
Pickers co-host Wolfe paid tribute to Fritz in an Instagram put up, writing that his coronary heart is “damaged.”
“I’ve recognized Frank for extra then half my life and what you’ve seen on TV has all the time been what I’ve seen, a dreamer who was simply as delicate as he was humorous,” Wolfe wrote. “The identical off digital camera as he was on, Frank had a method of reaching the hearts of so many by simply being himself.”
The pair had been pals earlier than beginning American Pickers collectively. Wolfe shared that they’d “take off collectively to locations we by no means knew existed with no vacation spot in thoughts and simply the shared ardour to find one thing attention-grabbing and historic.”
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“We’ve been on numerous journeys and shared so many miles and I really feel blessed that I used to be there by his facet when he took one final journey house. I really like you buddy and can miss you a lot,” Wolfe added.
Fritz had largely been out of the general public eye after struggling a extreme stroke in 2022. A 12 months earlier than that, in 2021, Fritz informed The Solar he hadn’t talked to Wolfe in two years amid a feud between the 2. The final time he appeared on a present was in March 2020, The Solar reported on the time.
When Fritz had his stroke, the pair appeared to place their variations behind them.
Wolfe posted that Fritz was hospitalized following the stroke and he requested followers to maintain the co-host of their “hearts and ideas.”
“I’ve been very personal up to now 12 months with reference to Frank’s life and the journey he’s been on. There was numerous opinions with reference to mine and Frank’s friendship and the present however now just isn’t the time to set the report straight. Now could be the time to wish for my pal,” Wolfe wrote on Instagram on the time.
“Frank I pray greater than something that you just make it by way of this okay. I really like you buddy.”
The Historical past Channel and Pickers producer Cineflix Manufacturing launched a joint assertion within the wake of Fritz’s dying.
“Frank filmed American Pickers for over a decade,” the assertion reads. “We are going to all the time keep in mind ‘the bearded charmer’ and his endless seek for classic bikes and bikes. Our ideas are with Frank’s family members throughout this troublesome time.”
Fritz’s supervisor Invoice Stankey informed Individuals that he was “an distinctive human being.”
“He cherished life, he cared about individuals, he all the time had a sort phrase to say and he knew extra about Americana and antiques than anybody I ever met,” Stankey mentioned, including that Fritz was the “anchor” of American Pickers.
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