‘All My Children’ actor Paul Avery and his wife Sheila perish in house fire

Played TV cameraman in 'Superman' and also made appearances in 'Tales from the Darkside', 'Three's Company' and 'Soap'

Published Jun 19, 2026  •  1 minute read

Actor Paul Avery and his wife Sheila both died in a New Jersey house fire early Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Photo by Kyle Avery /Facebook

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Actor Paul Avery and his wife Sheila both died in a house fire early Tuesday morning in New Jersey.

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Firefighters responded to their Blairstown home, approximately 80 kilometres west of Newark, and found the couple in critical condition, New Jersey State Police told the Ridgeview Echo, a local news organization founded by the late actor.

“Upon the troopers’ arrival, the residence was fully engulfed in flames,” police said in a statement Friday. “Two individuals were in the residence at the time of the fire, and both succumbed to their injuries. … The fire remains under investigation, and no additional information is available.”

They were both treated with CPR, but died shortly after being rescued, police said. The blaze was declared under control around 1 a.m. shortly after firefighters entered the home. The cause is still under investigation.

He was 81 years old.

Acting career

Avery began his acting career in the 1970s. He played a TV cameraman in Christopher Reeve’s Superman in 1978 and Hughie the bartender on All My Children. He remained in the recurring role for a dozen years before his exit from the soap opera. He also made appearances in Tales from the Darkside, Three’s Company and Soap.

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Avery’s daughter, Kyle Avery, confirmed the news of her parents’ death on social media Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m devastated to share that our parents, Paul and Sheila Garry Avery, passed away early this morning,” she wrote on Facebook. “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.” 

In addition to acting and writing, the former journalist was also a member of the United States National Guard and spent a year serving as a helicopter crew chief in the Vietnam War. 

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