I'm replying to your post because it was so powerful, but really, this goes to most of them. I left my parents behind when I was 20 with them knowing, but without my moms blessing. I can still picture them on the front steps as I drove off, my mom crying her eyes out saying "he's never coming back". I drove off and headed across the country for cheaper school and a fresh start. Same stuff about anger and bad attitude from the parents drove me away and I was sure it was the only solution.

I got to where I was headed, met some people, and was having a blast. I did not call home for a few months, but got sad because I hadn't talked to my little brother, so I made contact. Years flew by with very little contact. (I did visit once every few years and talked on the phone every so often, but it was just the kind of "how are you doing? Oh, I'm doing ok too." kind of talk.) I was having a great time on my own. Had $200 to my name when I arrived in a place 3500 miles from home and the real world was being a bitch, but it was fun. Going out and seeing shows till 5am, camping, skating, surfing, women...it was an awesome time. However, as I got older and years started adding up the feeling like I had abandoned the family that raised me grew stronger. I wasn't home sick or anything, just that look and those words from my mom kept picking away at me.
14 years flew by. I expected to have a fun adventure and return a wiser man, but holy cow...over a decade later and I hardly knew the people who raised me. I basically started to drift away at 14 and now I'm 34. Luckily, at around 32 I started to reconnect with my mom and got to know her. Turned out to be a great lady. I remember calling her to tell her she was gonna be a grandmother and maybe 2 days later she told me she had cancer. A couple of weeks later I found out it was stage IV...terminal. Now she's gone and there's so much I missed by just bailing.
I don't know what your dad has done to you. I didn't really have it bad compared to most, but an alcoholic father and abusive mother who never got along drove me away. At this point in my life all I can say is I am glad I chose to reconnect. I'm glad that my mom knew I was happy with everything about my decision to leave (other than abandoning family) and I had "made" it. I'm thankful that she didn't have to sit worrying for years if I was alive or not.
If you can stomach it, call your dad. What you wrote is some moving stuff. Chances are he will be proud of the man you've become.