The daughter of Paul and Sheila Avery has confirmed that the couple tragically lost their lives in a house fire that occurred early Tuesday morning. The news has sent shockwaves through the entertainment community, where Paul was remembered for his long-standing career in television.
Paul was best known to audiences as an actor who enjoyed a 12-year tenure on the iconic ABC soap opera All My Children. According to Soap Digest, he famously portrayed the bartender Hughie at the local dive bar, Foxy’s. Beyond his work in daytime drama, his career included appearances in notable projects such as Three’s Company, Soap, Tales from the Darkside, and the 1978 feature film Superman.
According to reports from NBC News, which cited the New Jersey State Police, emergency responders arrived at the couple’s residence around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday to find the home engulfed in flames. Tragically, the couple was discovered unresponsive and later succumbed to their injuries.
The couple’s daughter, Kyle, confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement shared on Facebook. “I’m devastated to share that our parents, Paul and Sheila Garry Avery, passed away early this morning,” she wrote. “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.”
As of press time, the circumstances surrounding the fire remain under investigation, and authorities have not yet disclosed an official cause.