“I’m devastated to share that our parents, Paul and Sheila Garry Avery, passed away early this morning.” Kyle Avery wrote those words on Facebook, announcing that Paul Avery and his wife Sheila Avery died in a house fire at their home in New Jersey on Tuesday, June 16.
Paul Avery Career and Roles
Paul Avery spent two decades in Hollywood, where he landed guest-starring roles in Soap and Three’s Company and had a small part in the original Superman movie in 1978; he later had a recurring role as Hughie the bartender in All My Children and served as executive editor of the Ridge View Echo online newspaper. Paul Avery also spoke in 2023 about small-town life, saying, "The great thing about living in a small town is that you can actively participate in it." The actor’s résumé also lists activities outside entertainment: he was an avid skydiver and motorcyclist, a member of the United States National Guard and spent one year serving as a helicopter crew chief in the Vietnam War.
Kyle Avery Facebook Statement
Two daughters, Kyle and Parker, survive Paul and Sheila Avery; Kyle used her Facebook post on Tuesday, June 16 to both announce the deaths and to share the family’s grief, writing, "We loved them so much, and they loved us so much, and nobody ever had to wonder if that was so." Kyle added, "We’re grateful to the Blairstown Fire Department for their efforts." The post closes with a practical note that service plans are to follow.
Blairstown Fire Department crews responded to the incident, and the family publicly thanked the Blairstown Fire Department for their efforts; the causes behind the house fire that killed Paul Avery and Sheila Avery have not been released. Local emergency response and the family statement together close the immediate operational loop—rescue efforts were performed and the next administrative steps for the family (services and notifications) have been signaled by Kyle Avery’s post.
All My Children and Legacy
One clear consequence is procedural: with service plans to follow, the family has moved from rescue and notification into memorial planning, and the entertainment community will now reference Paul Avery’s two-decade Hollywood run, his recurring role on All My Children and his later editorial work at the Ridge View Echo when noting his career. What caused the house fire that killed Paul Avery and Sheila Avery?
