Paul Avery, a beloved American soap opera star, and his wife Sheila have tragically died in a devastating house fire at their home in Blairstown, New Jersey. The fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, June 16, leaving their daughter Kyle Avery devastated.
Career Highlights
Paul Avery was best known for his 12-year role as Hughie the bartender on the popular soap opera All My Children. He also appeared in the 1978 Superman film and television shows such as Tales from the Darkside, Soap, and Three's Company.
The Tragic Incident
The New Jersey State Police responded to the scene to find the house engulfed in flames. Paul and Sheila were found unconscious, and firefighters performed CPR, but they sadly passed away shortly after.
Family's Grief
Their daughter Kyle Avery confirmed their deaths in a heartbreaking Facebook post: "I'm devastated to share that our parents, Paul and Sheila Garry Avery, passed away early this morning. We loved them so much, and they loved us so much, and nobody ever had to wonder if that was so. We're grateful to the Blairstown Fire Department for their efforts. Service plans to follow."
Journalism Career
In addition to acting, Paul worked as a journalist, writing film reviews for the New Jersey Herald and reporting for the Gazette in Hackettstown. He later became the founding executive editor of the Ridge View Echo, which also reported the devastating news. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
Tributes Pour In
Tributes have flooded in for the couple. Paul's colleague Joe Phalon said: "I got a call saying what happened, and I just couldn't believe it. I always like to call Paul the most interesting man in the world, because he was when you consider everything he's done in his life. Acting, skydiving, Vietnam veteran, started a newspaper."
Blairstown local Kevin Martin added: "It's going to take a while to get used to not having him here, because it was almost like, 'OK, it's the weekend, we expect to see Paul.' He was a powered pilot previously, so he held some ratings, and when he came to gliders, he was pretty much a natural pilot."
