American Pickers star Mike Wolfe suffers devastating family loss as he shares heartbreaking tribute

American Pickers star Mike Wolfe has paid tribute to his late mother Rita following her death from cancer.

The 61-year-old History Channel personality announced in the late hours of Tuesday that his mom had died in hospice care following a four-month battle with cancer, her children by her side.

Wolfe credits his mother with helping him get into the business of picking and shared a touching anecdote of how she was his number one supporter.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail, he also remembered how American Pickers brought them even closer together

‘One of the things she did early on that was really amazing was giving me her garage,’ he said, revealing that he had his own man cave aged just five.

‘I had been putting all this stuff in the front yard, and it piled up in the front yard, so she comes home and goes, “I tell you what I’m going to give you the garage to put your stuff in.”

‘She didn’t park her car in the garage anymore. She gave it to me to put all my stuff in there and was encouraging me to bring things home still.’

Wolfe and his late co-star and long-time friend Frank Fritz brought American Pickers to the air in 2010 after years of pitching the show to a range of networks.

Rita died in hospice care surrounded by her three children, Wolfe told Daily Mail

The program, which is currently on its 27th season, originally saw Wolfe and Fritz travel across the country to find rare Americana artifacts and national treasures to buy and either sell on or add to their own collections.Following the death of Fritz in September 2024, Wolfe has continued the show with the help of familiar favorites, including his brother Robert Wolfe and Danielle Colby. 

Wolfe’s mother was also involved behind-the-scenes.

‘She travelled with us sometimes when we were filming and came to New York with me when we did talk shows,’ he said.

‘It was very cool for us to share that kind of time together.’

Rita’s death comes just weeks before the arrival of Wolfe’s new History Channel series, History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe.

The upcoming eight-part series explores the journeys, tales, and monetary values behind legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history.

Before her death, Wolfe was able to share glimpses of the show with his mother.

Rita, pictured with Wolfe’s 14-year-old daughter Charlie, encouraged his love of picking

 

Wolfe remembered spending time with his mother behind the scenes of American Pickers

‘I showed her stuff on my phone, like the intro and a couple of different stories,’ he said. ‘She loved it.

‘I mean, she watched what I had to go through to get the first show [American Pickers] on the air.’

Wolfe announced his mother’s death in an emotional tribute shared on Instagram in which he said the ‘pain and sorrow comes in waves’ and ‘sometimes it all still doesn’t feel real’.

‘Everything I have become in my life I owe to her,’ he said. ‘God I will miss her but I know she’s in a better place.

‘I love you to the moon and back Mama. I will look for those little moments when you still find ways guide us.