Well, Sean, I'm 52. I lost my dad in 1987 and still miss him every day. I still drink a toast to him every New Year's Eve, the anniversary of his death. If you were as close to your dad as I was to mine, expect the impact of losing him to last about 6 months. Time heals all wounds, but the healing is gradual. My dad was gone a year or so before I could talk about him without choking up. He was my buddy from the time I was about 14 or so. We went to movies together, as we were both science fiction fans and my mother wasn't. When I got married in 1975, he confessed to my mother about 6 months later how much he missed me. Well, the feeling was mutual and the wife and I then made a point of spending every Friday night with my folks playing cards. It was always a regular party with Dad and me working on a 12 pack, the wife and Mom with their fruity mixed drinks and snacks. Thinking back, those were some of the happiest times of my life. My mom didn't heal so quickly. She was still empty inside for several years and I can understand, as I've been married for 33 years to the greatest girl in the world, and I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost her, though I doubt very much if I'd remarry. Mom has a boyfriend now, and he's one of the greatest guys I've ever met. She's 86, he's 85 and they depend on each other just like their departed spouses. He's not my dad, nor does he pretend to be. But they sure are good for each other. Now, when my dad is mentioned, it's the good things, only the good things. He was the best dad in the world and he deserves that. But he lived long enough to see all his kids do even better than him. And even though I think he deserved to live longer, isn't that what all good dads want most?
Your dad sounds like a great guy, also. The pain will ease, albeit slowly. But then there will be the good things, only the good things.
Good luck, man.