FRANK Fitz was one half of the beloved TV duo who presented American Pickers, alongside his longterm pal Mike Wolfe.
Sadly, Frank passed away on October 1, 2024, having been noticeably absent from several series on the hit TV show. But why did Frank stop appearing in the show and what did the star pass away from?
Why did Frank leave American Pickers?
Frank was missing from the 21st series of American Pickers, but fans weren’t initially told where he was.
He appeared in episodes 1-7, but then vanished from the show.
Unbeknownst to fans, Frank was recovering from back surgery which saw him have 185 stitches and two rods in his spine.
Afterwards, he exclusively revealed to The Sun that he was planning a return: “I would like to come back to the show.
“I was doing it for 11 years.
“I’m 100 percent recovered now and I’m ready to roll and go back on the show.”
However, Frank claimed that the network wouldn’t give him a straight answer about returning.
“They talk out of both sides of their mouth. It would be like me telling you I want to go back on the show and then tomorrow going, ‘I never said that, I never said anything about that,’” he continued.
Then, in 2021, it was announced that he would not be returning, sparking rumours of a feud between Frank and his long-time co-presenter.
Things took a turn for the worse in July 2022, when Frank had a stroke.
Frank was allegedly found “sprawled on the floor” around the time of the incident.
Frank’s father, Bill Fritz, at the beginning of August 2022, exclusively told The Sun that his son is in “stable” condition.
How did Frank Fritz die?
Frank’s health improved after his stroke, but the incident left the TV star wheelchair-bound except for small distances.
A friend of his told The US Sun: “You’re never 100 percent after a stroke, but he’s fine.
“He’s aware of what’s going on.
“If he were sitting here right now, you could sit and talk to him. He’s the same old Frank.”
However, he continued to have on going health problems including a bout of pneumonia.
Frank’s cause of death has not been confirmed, but news of his death broke when his pal Mike shared the news on Instagram.
Mike wrote: “It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night.
“I’ve know Frank for more then 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.
“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.”
Is Frank married?
Frank was not married, although he was engaged to Diann Bankson.
The pair dated on and off for many years before ending the relationship altogether.
In the breakup, both accused the other of infidelity, and Diann sued Frank for negligence on January 27, 2020.
Despite their ups and downs, Diann revealed she and Frank were engaged in 2017 and were living together in his Iowa farmhouse.
She said that in November 2018, she “walked in and caught him in bed with another woman.”
The two managed to reconcile, although this did not last long as Diann claimed she got third-degree burns from Frank and his friend’s negligence with a firework.
She claimed Frank “refused” to “take her to the hospital” and instead told her to “toughen up.”
In the following days, Diann went to the hospital and was “treated for third-degree burns.”
When the couple split again, she claimed he had the locks changed on a separate Iowa home they shared.
Diann demanded $50,000, claiming Frank was “negligent in the operation of fireworks.”
She claimed she had experienced pain and suffering, emotional distress and mental anguish, past and future loss of function of body and scarring, loss of earning capacity, loss of everyday life, and medical expenses.
On March 19, 2020, Diann dismissed the lawsuit.
