There will definitely be a place for someone with your dad's blend of experience and interests. I'd suggest that possibly he'd be better in the product owner role, some tech interest and sympathy but with the wider perspective of the other jobs he's done.
That said, there's probably also a programming role where that not-programming experience would be an asset to someone who can also learn the code.
Of course there's probably many many other places where it wouldn't work, the trick is finding that correct fit. But most of being a good developer isn't programming it's thinking about the system, the use-case etc. There's plenty of rockstar guys who can code amazing solutions, but people with a wider experience and a different perspective are much rarer and can be more valuable.
That said, there's probably also a programming role where that not-programming experience would be an asset to someone who can also learn the code.
Of course there's probably many many other places where it wouldn't work, the trick is finding that correct fit. But most of being a good developer isn't programming it's thinking about the system, the use-case etc. There's plenty of rockstar guys who can code amazing solutions, but people with a wider experience and a different perspective are much rarer and can be more valuable.