“It says a great deal about the mind of Commander Data that, looking at the human race, with all its violence and corruption and wilful ignorance, he could still see kindness, the immense curiosity and greatness of spirit.” An old friend, at rest.

But couldn’t Dr. Soong have made a second golem, with a finite lifespan just like he did for Picard – and put Data into that?? Or if they already had Data’s memory banks in B4 they could have used that too, although I’m not sure what’s going on with B4 in that point in time