Tommy and Maryanne Pilling / photo from Linda Newman Tommy Pilling died on New Year’s Day at the age of 62 after catching the coronavirus. In 1995 he made headlines when, as a man with Down syndrome, he married Maryanne, who also has DS – the first such marriage in Britain. After having sheltered for 10 months, he was admitted to hospital with a chest infection. It is believed that he contracted Covid while there. Tommy and Maryanne lived independently for 25 years. “Our beautiful Tommy peacefully passed … after a battle with covid pneumonia,” Ms Newman wrote on the couple’s Facebook page on Monday. “Thank you for showing me what unconditional love was, I will remember your beautiful ways forever, your pure heart, your love of music, Elvis, your dancing. Your positive attitude and how you appreciated the small things. Thank you for making Maryanne so happy.”