Was your dad a non-JW? That was good advice he gave to save for the future.
No. He actually had responsibilities from the local congregation right up to the old district level. He was what some had termed a "heavy hitter", however he also was a very intelligent practical man. He was what a friend of mine described as an iron fist in a velvet glove. The velvet glove was used to comfort, assist, and gently guide anyone who needed. The iron fist, more often than not, was used to put fellow elders in their proper place. I am biased, but I believe he fit closely the example Jesus gave with the recorded kindness and forgiveness for the Ama-Ahrets, and the way he came down, hard, on the Pharisees. He was finally put out to pasture when my mother developed Alzheimer's, and I remember him saying a number of times, "Jehovah's Witnesses have love on their lips, but none in their hearts."