Frank Fritz, longtime co-host of History’s American Pickers, died on September 30, 2024, at age 60. The show announced his death, which History and production company Cineflix Productions also confirmed. The first announcement did not give a cause; a later report by TMZ attributed details to a death certificate it said it obtained.
What happened to Frank Fritz?
Fritz died September 30, 2024. The American Pickers social account announced his death, and History and Cineflix Productions confirmed it in a joint statement reported by the Los Angeles Times. The initial announcement did not disclose a cause of death.
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Some early reports gave Fritz’s age as 58, but his longtime friend Annette Oberlander corrected that figure: he was 60, according to the Associated Press.
What was the reported cause of death?
On October 11, TMZ reported that a death certificate it obtained listed the immediate cause as “late sequela of cerebral infarction,” which the outlet described as a stroke. TMZ also reported that the certificate listed cerebral vascular disease, aortic stenosis and COPD. This cause information came in the later report; it was not included in the original death announcement. TMZ’s report is the source for the certificate details.
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Fritz’s years on American Pickers
American Pickers debuted on History in 2010, with Fritz and Mike Wolfe traveling to find antiques and collectibles. Fritz did not return as co-host after 2021. The Los Angeles Times described his tenure as more than a decade and over 20 seasons.
Wolfe was at Fritz’s bedside when he died, the AP reported. In a statement quoted by the Los Angeles Times, History and Cineflix remembered “the bearded charmer” and “his never-ending search for vintage motorcycles and bikes.” Wolfe told the AP, “The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself.”
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His health in the years before his death
Oberlander told the AP that Fritz suffered a stroke in 2022 and never fully recovered. The Los Angeles Times specified that the stroke occurred in July 2022. Oberlander also told the AP that she and Fritz had driven about 70,000 miles a year while picking for the show. “He was a fierce friend,” she said.
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