LE CLAIRE, Iowa (WHBF) — Frank Fritz, one of the hosts of the History Channel’s hit show “American Pickers,” has died, according to his co-host Mike Wolfe.
“It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night,” Wolfe wrote on Instagram Tuesday.
“We’ve been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home. I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know your in a better place,” he added.
Fritz, of Le Claire, Iowa, previously suffered a stroke in 2022. A cause of death was not immediately available.
A Facebook group dedicated to following Fritz’s recovery says he was hospitalized earlier this year with complications from the stroke and Crohn’s disease.
Tuesday morning, a friend of Fritz posted that he passed away Monday night surrounded by friends, as well as Wolfe.
“…Be kind as we are trying to figure out how to cope with this,” they wrote.
Fritz was born in Davenport and is best known for appearing with Wolfe on “American Pickers,” which has been on air since 2010.
In the show, Wolfe and Fritz traveled across the country, finding unique items to sell in their Antique Archaeology stores in Le Claire and Nashville.
Fritz left the show in 2020, seemingly causing a rift between him and Wolfe. While the two made amends, recent reports indicated Wolfe was “making efforts” to bring Fritz back on the show.
“I’ve [known] Frank for more [than] 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,” Wolfe wrote Tuesday. “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.”
Danielle Colby, who co-starred alongside Fritz and Wolfe while running their store, also reportedly shared a tribute on Tuesday.
“Frank, I will miss your ability to make everyone laugh, your love for talking tattoos, your epic collections but what I will miss the most are those little glimpses of vulnerability from time to time,” she wrote.