<P> John and Savannah continue their relationship through letters, and John visits her in her hometown to meet her family while on a future leave . As their time apart start as weeks and turn into months and years, Savannah begins to spend more time with Tim, and decides that she wants to work with autistic children; she plans to build a farm and horse stables where they can enjoy the outdoors and animals . John and Savannah makes plans to start a life together after John is discharged from the army in December 2001 - but September 11 happens, and John chooses to re-enlist . Over the next two years, the romance continues through their letters, and one turns out to be a literal "Dear John" letter, in which Savannah breaks up with John, saying that, while she still loves him, she has developed feelings for someone else - she does not reveal that the "other man" is Tim . In a fit of anger, John burns all of Savannah's letters . </P> <P> John is later wounded and encouraged to return home, but he re-enlists for a second time . Four years pass, and John is informed that his father has had a stroke - instead of being deployed with the rest of his unit, John is being sent home to be with his dad . When John arrives at the hospital, he learns that his father is alive, but in grave condition . In addition to reading his father articles from coin collectors' newsletter (which Mr. Tyree has collected, along with his beloved coins, for decades), John writes a letter to his father, which he reads to him at the hospital; John's voice - over at the beginning of the film was from this letter, in which he told his father that the first thing to cross his mind after he was shot was coins, and the last thing to cross his mind before he lost consciousness was his dad . Soon afterward, his father dies . </P> <P> After his father's funeral, John visits Savannah and learns that she has married Tim, abandoning her dream of a riding camp for autistic kids because of Tim's fight against lymphoma . They enjoy a quiet evening together, eating dinner and are tempted to pick up where they left off years earlier, but do not go through with their feelings, and John leaves . The next day, John goes with Savannah to visit Tim in the hospital, and Tim tells John that Savannah still loves John; she loves him (Tim), too, but not in the same way she loves John - and Tim can see that . John sells all of his father's coin collection (except the valuable mule coin that he found with his father years ago) in order to raise money to help with Tim's cancer treatment . John returns to the military, carrying the mule coin with him as a charm / talisman . He receives a letter from Savannah telling him that Tim died after two months of treatment . John, now a civilian, eventually returns home; while riding his bike in town one day, he sees Savannah at a coffee shop, and they hug . </P> <Ul> <Li> Channing Tatum as John Tyree </Li> <Li> Amanda Seyfried as Savannah Lynn Curtis </Li> <Li> Henry Thomas as Tim Wheddon </Li> <Li> Richard Jenkins as Mr. Tyree </Li> <Li> Luke Benward as Alan <Ul> <Li> Braeden Reed as Young Alan </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Scott Porter as Randy </Li> <Li> D.J. Cotrona as Noodles </Li> <Li> Cullen Moss as Rooster </Li> <Li> Gavin McCulley as Starks </Li> </Ul>

Who dies at the end of dear john