I've heard some spec that one of the reasons Jack so desperately wants to go back to the island is because the island can cure cancer.. and the Oxycontin he was taking is used to treat cancer. It's a bit out there and certainly wouldn't be the only reason why Jack would want to return but it's interesting nevertheless.

Btw, is Skate a typo? Or do you mean Jate? In which case I fully agree with you, I find Kate and Jack rather boring together.

There are indeed screencaps of the obituary and the name is supposedly "John Latham", which is the name of a conceptual artist btw. Anyhow, the transcript of the deceased "John Latham"'s obituary has some people thinking it's Michael living under an alias. It has to be someone Kate knows too, and considering how she didn't care to go to the funeral at all, that someone must not be someone she likes, and not someone whom Jack counts a friend... Michael might fit up.