Can't be Billy either. He is also mentioned in the last episodes spoiler.

Can't be Bettina if you believe the spoilers at Deadwood. She's mentioned in the second to last episode spoiler.

George bites it. Then the love can grow faster with Nate and George's daughter when they console each other. It escalates problems with Maya since she's grown so close to him, and also escalates problems between Brenda and Nate. Gives a reason for Claire to come home since she's trapped with Billy.

Although I am sticking with my Roger guess, it could be Bettina. The site tv.com's description of the episode after this one says in part: "Ruth is delighted when her sister Sarah calls." But that doesn't say why Sarah called, or if Ruth stays delighted after Sarah started talking. Since Ruth, Sarah and Bettina (the Kathy Bates character) hung out together, it could be that Sarah called to inform her sister of their mutual friend Bettina's death.

Although I am sticking with my Roger guess, it could be Bettina. The site tv.com's description of the episode after this one says in part: "Ruth is delighted when her sister Sarah calls." But that doesn't say why Sarah called, or if Ruth stays delighted after Sarah started talking. Since Ruth, Sarah and Bettina (the Kathy Bates character) hung out together, it could be that Sarah called to inform her sister of their mutual friend Bettina's death.

I suspect it might be George, possibly in suicide from feeling so terrible about how "he's always the lucky one; the one he's with is always unlucky" as he put it. This would explain why Brenda would broach the subject of telling Maya about Lisa and death - since Maya would undoubtedly notice George not being around (they had grown close lately with his playing with and reading to her).

George or Billy, and my money's on Billy. Though for the sake of Ruth's own sanity, I hope it's George.

I'm totally betting on the crazies. In the preview for "Eat a Peach" Margaret is telling Claire that Billy told her the sex was very good, which always signaled to me that he was gone, either missing or locked up. In the last episode where George was telling Ruth how she can't hide how repulsed she is by him, I kept thinking that George would pull a gun out of his robe. Yet, everyone seems like they're just going about their lives, and so the person who dies, if it's at the beginning of the ep is probably insignificant (like Roger), or there's no death at the beginning (I love it when they do that) and it's a surprise at the end. But really, I'm betting on Billy.

How about this, Roger's wife shows up with the kids and said she was sick, right? She dies leaving the kids with Roger. Roger then dies and leaves the kids to David & Keith. Hilarity ensues...

GEORGE SIBLEY! 'k so Ruth already lost an husband but remember this is Six Feet Under. He's dealing with his sickness and sees how much he's hurting Ruth. I would not be surprised if he kills himself.