The heartbroken daughters of beloved “All My Children” actor Paul Avery and his wife said the death of their parents in a tragic house fire “was the biggest loss of our lives.”
Avery, 84 — known for playing Hughie the bartender on the hit soap opera —and his wife of four decades, Sheila, were killed when a fire engulfed their home in Blairstown, New Jersey, early Tuesday.
“They were spectacular people,” their daughter, Kyle Avery, told The Post Friday. “It’s unending the amount of people they touched, how memorable they were and how joyful they were.”
“It’s the biggest loss of our lives,” she said. “It’s devastation— there’s no other word.”
“For us it’s a very personal tragedy,” said her sister, Parker Sanchez. “If you could order parents in a catalog, they would be the ones.”
Sanchez said the couple — whose cause of death was smoke inhalation, according to the sisters — was fun-loving and hard working.
Avery, who was also known for his minor role in the 1978 “Superman” movie, worked for decades as an actor simply because it was his passion.
“He wasn’t searching for fame, he just loved it,” said Sanchez. “He was very proud of having an over 20-year career as an actor.”
The sisters said the couple touched the hearts of many people with a combination of humor and community service.
“They were married for over 40 years and they loved to throw parties. They would have the most incredible parties,” Sanchez said.
“Humor was such a huge part of our relationship. They were so joyful to be around,” she added. “Everyone felt like they were welcome in the house.”
“It’s unending the amount of people they touched, how memorable they were and how joyful they were,” Kyle added.
Sheila, 77, was an artist and nurse who for decades helped abused women.
“Our dad is more recognizable but our mom was fantastic,” Sanchez said. “She was an RN nurse, and did sexual assault counseling and training for 25 years — when most people burn out,” she said.
“She inspired and mentored so many women,” Sanchez said. “I’ve been getting messages from women saying, ‘Your mom taught me to be a feminist’.”
Firefighters rushed to the Avery house just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, rescued the couple that were in critical condition and performed CPR — but they both died shortly after, the Ridge View Echo reported.
The cause of the fire remained unknown Friday, but the sisters said it was “not a suspicious fire.”