“All My Children” star Paul Avery and his wife Sheila Avery died in a house fire at their New Jersey residence. The actor was 81.
The couple were found unconscious at their home in New Jersey just before 1 a.m. Tuesday. When authorities arrived, their home was engulfed in flames. Firefighters treated them with CPR, but they died shortly after being rescued.
The cause of the house fire remains unknown and is under investigation. Authorities declared it under control just minutes after the fire department arrived. The Avery’s daughter Kyle confirmed their death in a Facebook post Tuesday.
“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.”
Paul was best known for playing Hughie, the bartender at Foxy’s, on “All My Children.” He appeared as a recurring character on the soap opera for 12 years, according to Soap Opera Digest.
The actor began his film and television career in the 1970s, appearing as a TV cameraman in 1978’s “Superman” and guest starring in an episode of “Three’s Company.” Paul was also a veteran of the U.S. armed forces and a pilot, according to local outlets.
He also had a career in journalism, working for local papers in New Jersey and then for The New York Times. He later became the founding executive editor of the Ridge View Echo. Joe Phalon, who reports for his publication, broke the news of the Averys passing.
The Averys are survived by their daughters Parker and Kyle and their son Paul.
