The deceased; a polite term referring to someone who has already passed away.
ご家族に故人の遺品を渡しました。
I handed the deceased person's belongings to their family.
葬儀の席で、故人をしのぶスピーチが行われた。
At the funeral, there was a speech remembering the deceased.
新聞の訃報欄に故人の名前が載っていた。
The deceased person's name appeared in the obituary column of the newspaper.
An old friend or longtime acquaintance (dated usage).
故人の紹介でこの仕事に就いたという人がいる。
There are people who say they got this job through an old friend.
彼は故人の縁でその家に出入りしていた。
He used to visit that household through a longtime acquaintance.