Paul Avery, the cherished actor celebrated for his portrayal in the iconic series All My Children, tragically perished alongside his wife, Sheila Avery, in a fatal house fire earlier this week, as reported by several sources.
The New Jersey State Police were alerted to an emergency at the couple’s residence in Blairstown, New Jersey, shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, according to WFMZ. Upon their arrival, they discovered the house engulfed in flames.
Firefighters located Paul, 81, and Sheila inside, both unconscious, and initiated CPR, but unfortunately, they succumbed to their injuries shortly thereafter, as noted by the Ridge View Echo, a publication established by the late soap opera star.
Authorities are currently investigating the origins of the fire to determine the cause.
In a related note, the cause of death for All My Children actor Alec Musser was disclosed three days after his unexpected demise. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office released a report on Tuesday, January 16, stating Musser “died by suicide due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” confirming his death occurred on the preceding Saturday, January […].
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 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.
Former soap star Alec Musser died on Friday, January 12. He was 50. “RIP to the love of my life,” Musser’s fiancée, Paige Press, wrote via her Instagram Story on Saturday, January 13, sharing a photo of her 2023 vision board for their wedding plans. “@alecmusser I will never stop loving you. My heart is […]
“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.”