Last month, we reported that the American Pickers star Frank Fritz had died at the age of 60 two years after suffering from a stroke. His former American Pickers co-star Mike Wolfe was by Fritz’s side when he died. Now, touching new details about his death have been revealed that are sure to warm fans’ hearts.
Wolfe And Fritz’s Friendship
Wolfe and Fritz had known each other since they were in middle school.
“He was a lot like he was on camera…he was very sensitive…he was very caring. He was extremely funny. His sense of comedic timing was unbelievable,” Wolfe, 60, told People Magazine with a laugh. “Actually, the crew and myself would always tell him that he should do stand-up because he was always very self-deprecating.”
“He was one of those guys, no matter who we talked to, he could always make people feel comfortable and let them know that they’re being heard,” he added.
Wolfe and Fritz had a lot in common from the very beginning, as they each grew up without fathers. The struggles that they faced together “moving through life” only brought them closer.
“He was an extremely hard worker,” Wolfe said of Fritz. “He was like no one I’d ever met in my whole life.”
Wolfe And Fritz Team Up For American Pickers
Wolfe went on to recall that when he came up with the idea for American Pickers, Fritz was the only person that “didn’t make fun of me.”
Fritz and Wolfe worked together on American Pickers from 2010 until the latter left the show in 2021 amidst his struggles with addiction. At the time, Fritz claimed that he and Wolfe had not spoken in two years. He added that he felt that he took “second place” while Wolfe was considered “No. 1” in the eyes of the American Pickers higher-ups.
“There was a lot of noise. That’s a nice way to put it,” Wolfe said of Fritz’s remarks. “This is so hard for me to talk about, because there were a lot of things that were said that weren’t true, and I always continued to pray for him. But unfortunately, the things that we want for someone… sometimes [it’s] just not enough, and they have to want these things for themselves.”
Like ‘Losing A Brother’
Wolfe described losing his friendship with Fritz as being like “losing a brother.”
“And that’s why it was so hard to hear him say the things that he said,” he lamented.
That being said, Wolfe claims that he and Fritz “never disconnected.”
“I never stepped away from him completely,” he said. “That would be impossible for me to do. But I watched all of it unfold. I tried to help him as best I could, and we did speak.”
Thankfully, Wolfe and Fritz were eventually able to get their friendship back on track.
“It was beautiful,” Wolfe recalled. “He was struggling with addiction. I know how judgmental the public can be. And so that’s why when we did end up speaking again, it was so easy for me to forgive him because I knew it wasn’t him talking. It was his addiction talking.”
Related: ‘American Pickers’ Star Frank Fritz’s Final Wish To Be Granted With Memorial Motorcycle Ride
Wolfe Held Fritz’s Hands In His Final Moments
Fritz suffered a “really bad stroke” in 2022. This left him requiring major medical care for the rest of his life. When took his last breath, the three people by his side were Wolfe, his mother, and Fritz’s late mother’s best friend Annette.
“I got the call that he wasn’t doing well,” Wolfe remembered. “I just feel blessed that I was able to get there…I was there for about an hour before he passed, and I was holding his hand and rubbing his chest when he took his last breath…I took my fingers and I closed his eyes.”
Wolfe then revealed what he said to Fritz in their final moments together.
“I just told him that I wasn’t mad at him and that I loved him and that I cared about him so much,” Wolfe recounted. “And then when I could see that he was struggling, I just said, ‘Just go find your mom. Go find her right now. Just go find her.'”
Watch Wolfe and Fritz in their prime together in the video below.
Fritz ‘Was A Beautiful, Beautiful Person’
Now that Fritz is gone, Wolfe is thankful that there was nothing left unsaid between them.
“Once he had the stroke and he went into a facility, I saw him so many times and I was able to speak to him very candidly, and very lovingly, about everything that I ever wanted to say to him,” he stated.
As for how Wolfe wants Fritz to be remembered, it’s for how much joy he brought to people.
“He was a beautiful, beautiful person that, to be honest with you, who knows what our lives would’ve been like if there was never a show,” Wolfe concluded. “I just want people to know who he was.”
Wolfe and Fritz shared a truly beautiful friendship. Please join us in saying a prayer for Fritz as he continues to mourn his buddy!
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