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William ‘Bill’ Shakespeare death
NEW YORK (77WABC) – William Shakespeare, the first man to get an approved COVID-19 vaccine in December, died of an unrelated illness at the age of 81.
Shakespeare received the Pfizer-BioNTech shot at University Hospital Coventry in England where he lived. According to the BBC, Coventry councilor Jayne Innes, a friend of Shakespeare, said he had died on Thursday of a stroke and added the “best tribute to Bill is to have the jab”.
Shakespeare, who had worked at car manufacturer Rolls-Royce and was a parish councilor, left behind his wife of 53 years, as well as their two sons and grandchildren. The BBC reported his wife Joy had praised his willingness to get vaccinated.
We're sorry to hear of the death of Coventry Labour stalwart Bill Shakespeare. Bill made global headlines as 1st first man to have Covid vaccine. His decades of service to the party were recently recognised by @Keir_Starmer. Our thoughts are with Joy and Bill's family & friends. pic.twitter.com/ANCTeGFYEs
— West Midlands Labour (@WMLabour) May 24, 2021
“Bill was so grateful for being offered the opportunity to become one of the first people in the world to be given the vaccine,” said Joy. “It was something he was hugely proud of – he loved seeing the media coverage and the positive difference he was able to make to the lives of so many. He often talked to people about it and would always encourage everyone to get their vaccine whenever he could.”
