When my father died, a coworker, whose father had died earlier, quoted something along the lines that the passing of a guy's father is the last leg to becoming a man.
It involved no longer having that universal teacher/critic/friend/tormentor in your life.
His snippet was way more poetic and satisfying than I can recall at the moment.
I wonder if we all feel it when this time comes.
Pardon my posting without finding the source/author.