Well stated and might I add a couple of words........

Clearly, Mr. Woodhouse is "old school" gentry and has probably been waited on hand and foot his entire life by his own late parents, his servants, his late wife, then "poor" Miss Taylor, then Emma, then the John Knightleys, then Mr. Knightley, THEN his most patient and accommodading Highbury friends.

Perhaps, Miss Austen wanted to portray the passing of the older traditional landed gentry with the rise of the industrial revolution generation just following him as typified by: Mr. John Knightley, Mr. Martin, the Coles, the Westons.

In projecting the novel out in my mind's eye, I can envision Highbury becoming less class conscious, more socially mobile, and more inclusive following Mr. Woodhouse's demise. He represents the last of the old guard.