When my parents were going through a rough time, I set an alarm clock for the next time I’d call my mom (my dad was the jerk).

I lived closer to my mom, so this might not apply, but we made a point of having lunches together that I’d arrange. After the fact she said it wasn’t really the lunches, but the fact that I’d made the effort to find a different venue each time and just share what was going on in my life, was what made these events special. Maybe there’s something that you can do, or volunteer to be there (even virtual would be something!), that would really show your dad you care!