It would have been pretty heartbreaking (to me at least) for him to have passed before getting the Nobel. Glad they finally gave it to him.

Would have been impossible too: Nobel Prizes are bestowed only on the living, so as to fund their research.

It's really inspiring to see someone doing some of their most important work after they are 50+ years old.

You can look up Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson who produced probably the first high efficiency[1] silicon solar cells in the mid 1950's. They were all in their late 40's early 50's at the time.

[1] Six percent!!!