Lynne:
oh my goodness....these posts, and your story, bespeak the power of what this e-connectedness can do. I am sorry beyond words for the pain and grief you are experiencing--and yet, the fact that you were able to be with your father through this time is a wonderful gift that will, in the long run, help you come to terms with this life event. Your father sounds like he was a terrific person, and his gift to all of you was that you were able to be with him as he left on his journey to God. All of us who have lost parents, no matter how long ago, never "get over it"--but as one person noted here, the fact that they lived becomes a central aspect of our memory.
Please know that all of us here send our thoughts, prayers, and love to you and your family. Take care of yourself--and know that its ok to cry, even at times that it may seem weird. (one of the best things I was told when my mother died a few years ago was by my Bham doc--who had lost her mother. She told me there were times she was in a stairwell, and would just burst into tears. It is ok to have grief--and the world will understand.
All the best
Charlotte (New Yorker)