In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter that much. In these examples, the subordinate clause is irrelevant to the tense in the main clause. If “he” is still around now, then the present tense is better. If “he” is no longer around, we would be more likely to use the past, but we might use the present if his action was so important as to render him “immortal”.

Thank you

#1 is correct but unnatural. #2 He is ... is natural if the person is still living.