Not everyone who leaves a mark on this world does it in one way. Paul Avery did it in several.
Paul Avery, best known for his recurring role on the beloved ABC soap opera All My Children, was killed alongside his wife Sheila in a house fire at their home in Blairstown Township, New Jersey on Tuesday, June 16. He was 81.
New Jersey State Police responded just after 12:38 a.m. after being alerted to the blaze. Rescuers pulled both Paul and Sheila from the home, but both later died from their injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Their daughter Kyle confirmed the loss on Facebook: "I'm devastated to share 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 nobody ever had to wonder if that was so. We're grateful to the Blairstown Fire Department for their efforts."
So who was Paul Avery?
He joined All My Children in 1981, playing Hughie the bartender at Foxy's - a role he held for 12 years. He also appeared in the 1978 Superman film, episodes of Three's Company and Soap, and voiced characters in over 300 commercials.
But the screen was only part of the story. Avery served in Vietnam as a helicopter crew chief, became a licensed pilot and skydiver, and later founded a local New Jersey newspaper - the Ridge View Echo.
A colleague remembered him this way: "I always like to call Paul the most interesting man in the world."
He is survived by daughters Parker and Kyle and a son, Paul.
He and Sheila went together - the way two people do when they have truly spent a life loving each other well. May they rest in peace.
