These are words that have been badly misused, confused, and tossed around.
When referring to someone's demise, the word is passed, as in passed away.
He or she may live past 90, but when the time comes, they pass away, and if it happened yesterday, last week, or last year, or any time before right now, they have passed away.
For writers, a really good tool to purchase is "The Dictionary of Disagreeable English" written by Robert Hartwell Fiske. The information in this book is invaluable.
Unfortunately, many people rely on their own ability and memory rather than to verify something they aren't sure of. Bad idea!
When I'm composing anything, whether it is a letter, a novel, or a comment, I have at my fingertips a dictionary, a Thesaurus, and Robert H. Fiske's book.
I still haven't found a cure for typos, but I'm looking!
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