Actor Paul Avery and Wife Sheila Die in New Jersey House Fire
Actor Paul Avery and his wife Sheila died in a house fire at their home in Blairstown, New Jersey, early Tuesday morning. Firefighters responded to the blaze at the couple’s residence, located about 50 miles west of Newark, and found both individuals in critical condition, according to New Jersey State Police, who spoke with the Ridgeview Echo, a local news organization.
Authorities reported that when first responders arrived, the house was completely engulfed in flames. Both Paul and Sheila Avery were rescued from the home and treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation but succumbed to their injuries shortly after being pulled from the structure. The fire was brought under control around 1 a.m., and its cause remains under investigation.
Paul Avery was 81 years old at the time of his death.
Acting Career
Avery began his acting career in the 1970s and appeared in a number of well-known television shows and films. He played a television cameraman in the 1978 Christopher Reeves film Superman and portrayed Hughie the bartender on the long-running soap opera All My Children, a recurring role he held for approximately a dozen years. He also made appearances on Tales from the Darkside, Three’s Company, and Soap.
Avery was also a journalist and a member of the United States National Guard, where he served as a helicopter crew chief during the Vietnam War for one year.
Family Confirms Loss
Avery’s daughter, Kyle Avery, confirmed the news of her parents’ deaths on social media Tuesday afternoon. In a Facebook post, she wrote, “I am devastated to announce 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 no one ever had to wonder if that was the case. We are grateful to the Blairstown Fire Department for their efforts. Plans are following.”
