Quite a thread you've got going here. Sorry to hear about your dad, and your, shall I say, quest?
I'm not one to talk; my current girlfriend was my first. However, maybe there is something here you can use. During college I signed up for a dating site, and after several years only had one good date after which I had to move out of state.
After moving to Detroit, a few months passed and I was tired of being single. I figured I'd try something I'd heard about- "the power of intention". My mom had previously rented the movie "The Secret," which It teaches you to act as if you you already have what you want. Saying, "I'm in a happy, loving relationship," instead of saying, "I wish I had a girlfriend". As did the guy in the movie, I used art as a way to visualize this while meditating on it a bit too.
Now, I'm not saying that this is the reason, but within a month or two I met my current girlfriend (a cute smartie with a masters degree and big girl job) and we've been together for a year. If you like the movie, I also recommend The Isaiah Effect; it examines the concept through the eyes of quantum physics and pre-Christian scripture. It's not religious, though. Just skip the intro about Y2K.
Others in my family have had some success while using this technique, and I believe it works but it's hard to enact and it's hard to prove. So, if nothing else works, try visualizing yourself in your ideal situation- and feel the happiness, the love. It's worth a shot!
Sorry for the messy post. I'm just trying to not write three pages, nor to let my personal beliefs get in the way.