His predecessor, he is told, died of a heart attack when yelled at.

"Your predecessor died because he was too close to me."

All 20 predecessors died for lack of money or political support.

His predecessor died under mysterious circumstances just after making a major breakthrough.

The old woman had grown into her role in the years since her predecessor died and she made a good leader.

Is that how my predecessors died, doing your dangerous work?

Sharpe's predecessor had died two and a half years before.

Instead, he was going to die as his predecessors had died a millennium ago, in the cold grip of Neptune.

I shall die in the room adjoining this, as my predecessor died.

His predecessor had died from a snapped neck for just such a foolishness.