William Shakespeare, 81, the first man to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in December in the United Kingdom, died Thursday after an unrelated illness, a friend of his announced.
Shakespeare made global headlines in 2020 for being the first man in the world to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
He was second in line to 91-year-old Margaret Keenan, who became the first person in the world to receive the coronavirus jab at University Hospital Coventry in December.
Coventry Councilor Jayne Innes, a friend of Shakespeare, said the best tribute to him “is to have the jab,” according to the BBC.
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Shakespeare previously worked at Rolls-Royce and was a parish councilor. He served his village of Allesley for over three decades and was an inpatient at the medical facility at the time of his first shot, which he described as “wonderful.”
It is not immediately clear what illness caused Shakespeare’s death.
“Bill will be remembered for many things, including a taste for mischief,” Innes wrote in a Facebook post following his death.
Innes described Shakespeare as a proud resident from the city of Coventry, saying he also served as a governor at Allesley Primary and Coundon Court schools.
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Shakespeare is survived by his wife Joy as well as their two adult sons and grandchildren.
