A family friend betrayed our trust?

This man had been a family friend for about 3 years when he stole my brother's shotgun. My dad threatened to beat the **** out of him and my family wants nothing to do with him anymore. I got pissed off because I had always seen him as a father figure and he always saw me as a daughter. His daughter absolutely hates him and wants nothing to do with him. He is a great man, and I will never understand why his daughter hates him so much. But it's been almost a year and I miss him. My family doesn't want me around him ONLY because he stole somethng. I don't talk to my dad about it because he gets steamed up. This happened at the beginning of last Summer. Behind my dad's back, I texted him on Christmas and wished him a Merry Christmas. He texted back saying Merry Christmas and that not even his own daughter had talked to him that day and this was around noonish. I miss him and I want him in my life, but the immaturity my dad is presenting is making that hard. My dad never really cared much for him anyways, so this evnt just gave my dad reason to dislike him more. Forgive and forget is what I think. What should I do?