They are talking about the deceased and their relationship to the remaining surviving family members. (e.g.: John was "preceded in death" by his wife Joan.) In the example, Joan preceded John in death.
You would say "...is preceded..." if you note that fact at the person's time of death. "Was preceded" is how the obituary would be worded because it was written after the person's death. Both deaths would have happened in the past.
The correct phrase is "he was preceded in death." This construction uses the past tense "was" to indicate that the event of his death occurred in the past, and "preceded" describes an action that happened prior to that event. Using "is preceded" would incorrectly suggest that the event is ongoing or current.
to go or come before.it means to go before. example, she preceded him through the door
Hamnet
I think you mean "preceded in death" which means "died before" .
Oliver Cromwell's death
He probably gave a little cough and then died.
Only if preceded by extreme blunt trauma or the headache is from hemorrhaging.
Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet, predeceased him.
Neonatal death is death of a newborn infant.
After Death
After death.