‘American Pickers’ Star Frank Fritz’s Cause of Death Revealed

American Pickers star Frank Fritz died from complications of a stroke while in hospice care. The 60-year-old reality TV personality’s longtime manager, Bill Stankey, told Fox News Digital that he had also been suffering from Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in the digestive tract, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can cause abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. Fritz suffered a serious stroke in July 2022, a year after he left History Channel’s American Pickers. He starred on the show for 12 years.

Fritz died on Monday, with his former co-star Mike Wolfe announcing his death on Instagram. “It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night,” Wolfe wrote on Tuesday morning.

“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 continued. “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. 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.”

“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 you’re in a better place,” Wolfe concluded.

Fritz’s former co-star Danielle Colby also reacted to his death, writing that she 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.”

“Frank, you loved your cat and your momma and we bonded on those things,” Colby wrote. “You will be missed for all of these reasons and so many more. Rest in Peace Road Dog.”