Paul Avery, the beloved actor known for his role in All My Children, and his wife, Sheila Avery, were killed in a devastating house fire this week.
A spokesperson for New Jersey State Police confirmed to Us Weekly that troopers responded to a residential structure fire in Blairstown Township, Warren County at 12:38 a.m.
“Upon the troopers arrival, the residence was fully engulfed in flames,” the spokesperson added. “Two individuals were in the residence at the time of the fire, and both succumbed to their injuries. Names are being withheld pending notifications. The fire remains under investigation, and no additional information is available.”
Firefighters performed CPR, but both victims died shortly after, according to the Ridge View Echo, a newspaper founded by the soap opera star.
Paul and Sheila’s daughter, Kyle Avery, confirmed their deaths via Facebook on Tuesday.
“I’m devastated to share that our parents, Paul and Sheila Garry Avery, passed away early this morning,” the post read. “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.”
Paul, 81, began his acting career in the ‘70s. He appeared as a TV cameraman in the 1978 film Superman and later starred as Hughie, the bartender at Foxy’s, on All My Children in the ‘80s. He remained in the role for 12 years before his exit from the soap opera. Paul also acted in more than 300 commercials, according to Soap Opera Digest.
In addition to his acting career, Paul was a journalist and executive editor of the Ridge View Echo. He was also a veteran and a pilot in his free time, according to WFMZ.
“I got a call saying what happened, and I just couldn’t believe it,” Joe Phalon, an employee of the Ridge View Echo, told the outlet. “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.”
Phalon added, “His death is going to leave a real void in this community. Not just Blairstown, but the towns around as well. I think we’ll really miss him, and I think it’s going to become more apparent over time.”
Kevin Martin, the owner of the glider business Jersey Ridge Soaring at the Blairstown Airport, also reacted to Paul’s death.
“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 told WFMZ. “He was a powered pilot previously, so he held some ratings, and so when he came to gliders, he was pretty much a natural pilot.”
