Be sure it's a low-wattage iron (30 watts is about as high as I'm willing to use on something like a 64). It's much easier to snip the pins off flush with the chip with a small pair of diagonal cutters, then de-solder each pin afterward. Get a desoldering braid from Radio Shack, work slowly and carefully, and you can do it. Practice on a junk board first to get comfortable, from some dead household electronic item.

Don't punish yourself by trying to use modern lead-free solders. You need special equipment to use those properly. My favorite solder is 62/36/2 solder like Radio Shack part#64-013. It's 62% lead, 36% tin, 2% silver. (If you can find the same blend at a hardware store, it'll probably be cheaper there.) 63/37 or even 60/40 solder may be easier to find and is nearly as good. 60/40 is the least expensive of the three.

Radio Shack also sells a cleaning/tinning compound. Part number is 64-020. It's expensive (almost $10), but makes soldering much easier and lasts a long time. Heat your iron up, dip the tin in the compound, and when it's hot enough to poke in, then you know it's hot enough to use. It'll save you and your dad a lot of hassle.