Frank Fritz, who drove around the United States looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality TV show “American Pickers,” has died.
He died Monday night at a hospice in Davenport, Iowa, said Annette Oberlander, a longtime friend. She said he was 60, not 58, as some websites and news sources said.
She said she was at his bedside, as was Mike Wolfe, who starred with Fritz for more than a decade on the History Channel show.
“The way he was, Frank had a way of touching the hearts of so many by just being himself,” Wolfe said on Instagram post mourning the loss of his friend.
Oberlander said Fritz suffered a stroke in 2022 and never fully recovered. She said a celebration of life, which will include a motorcycle ride, will likely take place in the spring.
“He was a tough friend,” Oberlander said. “He leaves behind an incredible amount of friendship because that was what was most important to him. A very large amount of friendship. Close friendship.”
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