‘American Pickers’ Frank Fritz Official Cause of Death Released

Late American Pickers star Frank Fritz’s cause of death has been revealed.

Fritz passed away on Monday, Sept. 30, at the age of 60 after suffering a stroke, according to the TV personality’s death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ on Friday, Oct. 11.

Fritz’s death was determined to have been due to a “late sequela of cerebral infarction,” meaning he suffered a stroke. Officials reportedly attribute the History Channel star’s stroke to cerebral vascular disease, which affects blood flow and blood vessels in the brain, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Fritz also suffered from aortic stenosis, a chronic thickening, and narrowing of the valve between the heart’s main pumping chamber and the body’s main artery that makes it difficult for blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which limits airflow into and out of the lungs, as per the Mayo Clinic.

Fritz’s death was announced on Tuesday, Oct. 1, by his former American Pickers co-host and friend, Mike Wolfe.

“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,” Wolfe wrote on social media. “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.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mike Wolfe (@mikewolfeamericanpicker)

Wolfe and Fritz worked together on American Pickers for a decade, traveling the country looking for hidden gems in unexpected locations. Fritz’s final episode aired in March 2020, and while he and Wolfe’s relationship became strained surrounding his exit from the show, the two soon reconciled. It was Wolfe who announced on social media in 2022 that his friend had suffered a stroke.

Looking back on their times together, Wolfe wrote on Oct. 1, “Before the show we would take off together to places we never knew existed with no destination in mind and just the shared passion to discover something interesting and historic.” He added, “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 [sic] in a better place.”