The late American reality TV star was known for co-hosting the History Channel’s American Pickers. Frank Fritz was a collector of antiques, motorcycles, and memorabilia, a passion he began during his childhood. He died from complications related to a stroke, leaving a legacy adored by many fans and colleagues.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- The late Frank Fritz was one of the successful pickers in America.
- His passion earned him a place on the History Channel’s American Pickers years ago.
- The late reality TV star was born on 11 October 1963, and he passed away on 30 September 2024.
- He was also a tattoo fanatic.
Profile summary
Full name | Frank Lee Fritz |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 11 October 1965 |
Date of death | 30 September 2024 |
Age at death | 60 years |
Place of birth | Davenport, Iowa, USA |
Place of death | Davenport, Iowa, USA |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Zodiac sign | Libra |
Sexuality | Straight |
Religion | Christianity |
Height | 5 ft 4 in (165 cm) |
Weight | 156 lb (71 kg) |
Hair colour | Brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Father | Bill Fritz |
Mother | Susan Fritz |
Siblings | 1 |
Profession | Former television personality and antique collector |
Who is Frank Fritz?
The late Frank Fritz was a reality TV star and antique collector. He is best remembered for his work on the History Channel’s American Pickers.
How old was Frank Fritz when he died?
Frank Fritz died at 60 years old. He was days away from turning 61. The late television personality was born on 11 October 1965, and he passed away on 30 September 2024.
Source: Getty Images
What did Frank from American Pickers die of?
Frank from American Pickers died of late sequela of cerebral infarction, which means he suffered from a stroke. The stroke was a result of cerebral vascular disease.
Fritz’s former co-host and friend, Mike Wolfe, announced the death on social media. Words from Mike Wolfe on Frank Fritz’s death are quoted below:
I’ve know Frank for more then half my life and what you’ve seen on TV has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny. The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself. 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.
Was Mike with Frank when he died?
Mike Wolfe was with Frank when he died. In fact, he was holding Fritz’s hand by his side on 30 September 2025. Frank’s mom’s best friend, Annette, was also present when the television personality took his last breath.
Did Frank Fritz recover from his stroke?
Frank Fritz did not recover from the stroke. He passed away on 30 September 2024. Following his demise, American Pickers on The History Channel posted the words below on Facebook.
We are saddened to share that our friend and beloved member of The HISTORY Channel and American Pickers family, Frank Fritz, has passed away on 30 September 2024. Frank filmed American Pickers for over a decade. We will always remember ‘the bearded charmer’ and his never-ending search for vintage motorcycles and bikes. Our thoughts are with Frank’s loved ones during this difficult time. He will be deeply missed.
A memorial service was held before Frank Fritz’s funeral.
Where was Frank Fritz from?
Frank was born in Davenport, Iowa, to Bill and Susan Fritz. He attended a local high school but never went to college. The late TV personality loved to collect rocks and old beer cans as a young boy and later became interested in vintage cars and toys.
Source: Getty Images
Frank Fritz’s tattoos
The late television personality and antique collector is also a tattoo fanatic. He has multiple tattoos on his arms, with some being done by James Hawk of Hawk’s Tattoos.
The show host had inked his left arm, but now has full sleeve designs on both his arms after paying a visit to Hawk.
Career
The American picker started his career by working as a safety and fire inspector for about 25 years. While working here, he collected antiques but eventually decided to quit his job to pursue his heart’s desire.
In 2010, his career breakthrough came when he joined the popular television series American Pickers.
The show, which has featured about 22 seasons, allowed Frank to work with accomplished stars like Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby, a fellow collector whose role was to direct Fritz and Mike to their various finds. The series also aired in the United Kingdom, Spain, Romania, and Israel.
Source: Getty Images
Store
Shortly after he started appearing on the History Channel’s series, Frank went into the antique business alongside his childhood friend and co-host, Mike Wolfe.
They founded the Antique Archeology shop in Le Claire, Iowa. The business later expanded, and they opened a second store in Nashville.
The pair travelled across the country, collecting unique stuff and junk. They later cleaned everything up and sold it in their store.
Their enterprise became famous because of their TV show, attracting numerous visitors. The business partners also founded Kid Pickers: How to Turn Junk Into Treasure, a website where kids discuss the items they found.
They also co-founded a restoration company where antiques were refurbished.
What happened to Frank on American Pickers?
Fritz had been part of American Pickers since its debut. Together with his colleague, Mike Wolfe, he has travelled across America searching for treasure in dumpsites, barns, and even in unlikely places like walls.
They grew famous for finding unique collections and then digging to find out their history. Wolfe is married to Jodi Faeth.
The show’s 22nd season premiered in January 2021, but Frank Fritz was conspicuously missing. He was also absent from the mid-season return in early June.
Fritz’s absence has stirred rumours from viewers of the 10-year show, with some claiming that Frank and Mike Wolfe had split.
Why did Frank and Mike have a falling out?
Frank once clashed with his co-star, Mike Wolfe. The two resolved their differences later on, but that conflict left a memorable mark on the History Channel series.
Source: Getty Images
Frank Fritz’s back surgery
Before his death, Frank Fritz underwent back surgery. This was revealed by his co-host, Mike Wolfe. It was not made clear what precisely the surgery was for. The back surgery was followed by a lengthy recovery process and physical therapy.
Fritz was also battling Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tract.
Crohn’s disease can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. However, Frank reported that he worked on his weight to manage the abdominal pains brought about by his illness.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, sources claimed that Frank deliberately kept off American Pickers due to his pre-existing condition. As a result, the collector was isolated in his Iowa home.
What was Frank Fritz’s net worth?
Fritz was worth around $6 million at the time of his death. Most of his wealth came from his reality star gigs and antique collection.
Frank Fritz’s house sale
After leaving the show, the collector sold his Iowa mansion, worth $358,000, in January 2021. Frank had bought the property in 2018 alongside his then-fiancée, Diann Bankson. The luxurious house has three bedrooms and three bathrooms and sits on 2,780 square feet.
Other features of the Iowa property include hardwood floors and carpeting in the bedrooms. The kitchen contains black and white granite countertops and white cabinets with a grey tile backsplash. The master bedroom also has a walk-in closet.
Who was Frank Fritz’s wife?
Source: Getty Images
Frank was not married. He was engaged to Diann, but the two broke off their engagement after she sued him for negligence in January 2020.
According to other reports, Diann had caught her lover in bed with another woman in 2018. The lovebirds sorted out their differences and reconciled, but only for a short while.
After some time, an incident took place in their home, whereby Frank and a friend set off fireworks. They attempted to light up the fireworks using a closed-cylinder vintage ashtray.
However, the firework did not light, and the two reportedly left it in the covered intake ashtray instead of properly disposing of the firework.
Diann used the ashtray while smoking a cigarette and suffered burns on her arms, eyelashes, and eyebrows. She claimed that the late TV star refused to take her to the hospital, although she received treatment the following day and was diagnosed with third-degree burns.
Frank’s ex dropped the lawsuit in March 2020. It is not clear whether the breakup contributed to his exit from the show.
The picker had a previous incident in 2017, where he was arrested for swerving on the road and driving in the wrong direction. He took a sobriety test and was found to be intoxicated with Xanax and alcohol.
Frank pleaded guilty to the charges. The late television personality was ordered to pay $625 plus legal fees, attend a rehabilitation programme, and serve one year of unsupervised probation. At that time, Fritz had also taken a break from American Pickers.
Trivia
- The late Frank Fritz was an animal lover.
- He enjoyed being outdoors.
- Frank voiced one episode of American Dad!
- The official time of his death was 8:50 pm.
- Frank’s father, Bill, worked in a medicine supply store, and his mother was a nanny.
The late Frank Fritz from American Pickers built himself an empire in the television industry. He died on 30 September 2024 from a stroke.
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