Frank Fritz wasn't just a guy on a TV show. For millions of fans who tuned into American Pickers every week, he was the guy you actually wanted to go grab a beer with—the "bearded charmer" who’d crawl through a spider-infested barn in Iowa just to find a rusted-out oil can.
But then, he just... vanished.
If you’ve been wondering what happened to Frank Fritz on American Pickers, the answer isn’t a single event. It's a heavy, complicated mix of a back that literally almost split in half, a public fallout with his best friend, and a final health battle that ended far too soon.
The Back Surgery That Started the Spiral
Most people think Frank was just fired or quit in a huff. Honestly, it started with physical pain. For years, Frank dealt with Crohn’s disease—something he’d lived with for three decades. He called it "a dragon" that made every day a crapshoot. But while he could manage the Crohn's, his back finally gave out.
In early 2020, Frank underwent a massive operation to fix his spine. We’re talking two rods and 185 stitches. He told The Sun that his back was about to "split in half" before the surgeons got in there. He left the show to recover, fully expecting to come back once he could walk again.
Then the world shut down for the pandemic.
While Frank was healing, the show kept moving. When the cameras started rolling again, Frank wasn’t in the van. He later claimed the network didn't even call him on his birthday, and the silence from the production team was deafening. He felt ghosted by the very family he helped build.
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The Mike Wolfe Rift: What Most People Get Wrong
You can't talk about Frank without talking about Mike Wolfe. They were childhood friends, the "odd couple" of the picking world. But by 2021, the bromance was officially dead.
Frank didn't hold back in interviews. He admitted he hadn't spoken to Mike in two years. He felt the show was tilted "1,000 percent" toward Mike, comparing their dynamic to Aerosmith—Mike was Steven Tyler, the frontman, and Frank was just the guy in the back.
"I haven't talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn't call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is." — Frank Fritz (2021)
Mike eventually fired back, suggesting that Frank’s struggles with alcohol addiction were the real reason for the distance. It was messy. It was public. And for fans who loved their chemistry, it was heartbreaking to watch.
The Tragic Health Crisis and Passing
The story took its darkest turn in July 2022. A friend found Frank unresponsive on the floor of his Iowa home. He’d suffered a massive stroke.
The recovery was brutal. He lost significant mobility on one side of his body and required a legal guardian because he no longer had the capacity to manage his own affairs. Even so, there was a glimmer of hope. In May 2023, reports surfaced that Mike Wolfe had visited Frank in the hospital. They reportedly sat together, cried, and finally buried the hatchet.
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Sadly, the "last journey home" came on September 30, 2024.
Frank Fritz died at the age of 60 in a hospice facility in Davenport, Iowa. The official cause was "late sequela of cerebral infarction"—basically, the long-term effects of that 2022 stroke. He also struggled with aortic stenosis and COPD toward the end. Mike Wolfe was by his side when he passed, proving that despite all the tabloid drama, that 40-year friendship meant something.
The Messy Estate Battle in 2026
Even now, over a year after his death, Frank’s name is still in the news for all the wrong reasons. His estate, valued at roughly $6 million, is currently the subject of a bitter legal fight.
Frank’s father, Bill Fritz, has challenged Frank’s will in court. Bill claims the will—which was signed in October 2023, about a year after the stroke—is invalid because Frank didn't have the mental capacity to know what he was signing.
Frank’s friends are fighting back. They say the will reflects his true wishes and point out that Bill hadn't been in Frank's life for years. In fact, the original guardianship papers from 2022 stated that Frank had "no living relatives he maintains contact with." It’s a sad post-script to a life spent finding value in things others had thrown away.
What Happened to Frank's Store?
If you find yourself in Savanna, Illinois, you can still visit Frank Fritz’s Finds. It’s still open, currently run by his longtime friend Jerry Gendreau.
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But it’s struggling.
Business reports from 2025 showed the shop only doing about $25,000 in sales. Without Frank there to charm the customers and bring in the rare motorcycles he loved, the shop has faced some "underwhelming" reviews. Still, his friends are trying to keep it alive as a tribute, planning motorcycle runs and revamping the inventory to honor his legacy.
What We Can Learn From Frank’s Story
Frank Fritz’s exit from American Pickers and his subsequent health battles serve as a stark reminder of a few things:
- Communication is everything. The rift between Mike and Frank grew in the silence. If you have a lifelong friendship, don't let a "lack of a phone call" during a crisis be the thing that ends it.
- Health is the ultimate treasure. Frank was a millionaire many times over, but his back issues, Crohn's, and stroke took away the one thing he loved most: being on the road.
- Get your paperwork in order. The ongoing legal battle over his $6 million estate is a textbook example of why clear, early estate planning matters, especially when your health is in decline.
If you want to honor Frank's memory today, the best way is to support local antique shops or finally get that old vintage bike in your garage running again. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Visit Frank Fritz’s Finds in Savanna, IL, if you're in the Midwest; they still have his personal collections on display.
- Check out the Frank Fritz Memorial Charity Run usually held in the spring, which raises money for local Iowa charities.
- Rewatch his final appearances in Season 21 to see the "bearded charmer" at his peak.