Awesome present 
To you
to your Dad
Your Answer
also check the Reviews for some options.
you have 2 things going against you (but not insurmountable)
in my experience
“Most” standard electronic door locks are Mifare Classic compatible, plus some other HF options
“most” are battery powered and therefore more difficult to read an xSeries implant
So, not futile, but you may have a smaller lock pool to consider.
small mods may help, like accessing and relocating the antenna, and powering from mains.
You may have more luck, locking at access systems.
Let us know how you go and if you need some more help