Last male of a surname

Last Friday night, September 21, the nurse who as assigned to help my mother with my terminally ill father noticed that he had stopped breathing and after finding no vital signs declared him dead. It was a relief to our family since he was in intense pain the last couple of days.

While visiting on the 9th, my father was barely able to function or sit in his wheel chair. We could tell it was soon. Even though I made bets for him that morning he was not interested at all in the results. Late that afternoon, I heard him call out for help and with my mom and sister on the porch, got up and asked him if I could help. He looked at me, realized who I am, and stated, "It's a shame you never got me a grandson to carry on the name."

My reaction ranged from anger, to disgust, and to sadness knowing I failed. Granted, my wife lost our male fetus mostly because she had gotten pregnant too soon after getting off birth control and the idea of trying for a second child was nixed due to her inability to be a competent mother and a few years later her physical inability to safely attempt to carry one. Anyway, not wanting to create a scene, I just walked out and headed home. Those words was the last complete sentence my father ever said to me.

What really makes me scratch my head is what happened to my friends who became parents since my daughter was born in 2000. Here is a chart:

If including those my age and older, this is the result: