Roy Bender (Orson Bean) is a retired steak salesman, who begins dating Karen at the start of the sixth season. Together they discover Julie after she is strangled. He and Karen later confess that they are in love with each other. Lynette later hires Roy as a handyman, at Karen's request. It is where Roy is revealed to be a little old fashioned when it comes to women and does not like that Lynette bosses Tom around and goes behind her back to get his approval on things. He and the Scavos later come to an understanding. He is also hired by Bree to watch Orson when she fears he will commit suicide. However instead of watching Orson, Roy leaves him in the laundry room, puts a broom through Orson's wheelchair spokes and goes to sleep. By the seventh season, he and Karen have married. In the final season, it is revealed that the name of his first wife is Miriam, who died two weeks before their 40th anniversary from brain cancer. Roy plays a vital role in the two hours season finale, by advising Tom on telling Lynette how much he loves her, and later by contacting Trip Weston to ask her to get some music for Karen, which impresses Bree. He is by Karen's side when she dies.