NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- A public service filled with song, prayer and memories lasted almost two hours on Saturday to remember the Petit family.

Thousands of attendees filled Welte Hall on the campus of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Several people spoke on behalf of the family, including friends, relatives and neighbors.

Dr. William Petit Jr. Speaks At Memorial Service William Petit Sr. & Family Speak Friends, Family Share Readings Petit Family Pastor Offers Prayers

Two Connecticut men -- both of whom have lengthy criminal records -- are charged in the murders, kidnapping and assaults of Petit's wife and two daughters who were killed on Monday at their Cheshire home.

The medical examiner ruled on Wednesday that Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, died of asphyxiation due to strangulation, and the couple's two daughters -- Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11 -- died due to smoke inhalation. All three deaths were ruled homicides.

"As much as we weep, as much as we mourn their loss, as much as we miss them, God weeps with us," said Stephen Volpe, their pastor at Cheshire United Methodist Church.

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Obituaries for the Hawke-Petit, Michaela and Hayley appeared in newspapers statewide and described Hawke-Petit's loving nature, Hayley's leadership skills and Michaela's smile.

In a statement, the family said it was moved by the sight of people standing along the route to the cemetery with their hands over their hearts. They said they know many share their grief.

That sentiment echoed most clearly when Dr. William Petit Jr. -- the sole survivor in the incident, who was released from St. Mary's Hospital on Friday -- spoke last, thanking everyone who offered their support.

"Thank you for all coming out today to honor the memory of the girls," Petit said. "I would really like to say thank you to people from all over the state of Connecticut and all over the country. We've been surrounded with love and cards and flowers and prayer from east to west and north to south. You've all been very wonderful."

Welte Hall seats 1,850 people, but the university made preparations to accommodate additional mourners in an overflow area outside the auditorium.

Sole Survivor Shares Family Memories

Many might wonder, or even admire Dr. Petit's strength through the service. But it wasn't as easy as he may have let on.

"I knew I had to leave (St. Mary's Hospital) to get out for the services, but it did feel safe. Part of me wanted to hide there and not face things. It was a safe place."

He had a message for attendees:

"I guess if there's anything to be gained from the senseless deaths of my beautiful family, it's for us to all go forward with the inclination to live with faith and help a neighbor, fight for a cause, love your family. I'm really expecting all of you to go out and do some of these things with your family in your own little way to spread the work of these three wonderful women."

Petit Recalls Meeting His Wife

Petit paused as he spoke as he explained how he met his wife at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

"As you heard, I'm a cheap first date. I've been paying for it ever since, though," Petit joked. "She was a new nurse and I was a know-it-all, third-year medical student."

The couple married at end of Dr. Petit's residency and remained together for 22 years. Both eventually left Pittsburgh for positions at Yale.

Petit described how his wife immersed herself in the lives of couple's two daughters. He recalled how his wife taught at Cheshire Untied Methodist Church and worked with him for the American Diabetes Association.

"It was really Hayley of her own accord: She thought her mom was going to die and she figured that if she did something, she could save her." - Dr. William Petit Recalling his late wife's lessons for the couple's daughters to give back to the community

"Jen was an amazing mother and friend. As you heard, she was involved in all aspects of the girls' lives. She was their confidant, they were really more like sisters. I had to keep saying to her, 'You're the mother, not their sister,'" Petit recalled.

Hawke-Petit was involved in her daughters' activities, including soccer, church, dance and crew.

"Jen always thought of others first, but after she developed MS, she started to instill these values in the girls, giving back to the community and getting involved in the MS Society," Petit said.

Petit: Hayley 'Was Smarter Than Me'

Upon learning of her mother's diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, Hayley started and ran a charity called Hayley's Hope. She raised over $55,000 over the past seven years to fight multiple sclerosis. She planned to hand the charity over to her younger sister, Michaela.

"It was really Hayley of her own accord: She thought her mom was going to die and she figured that if she did something, she could save her," Petit said. "That's where Hayley's Hope came from."

Petit shared with the attendees a portion of Hayley's entrance essay to Dartmouth College, his own Alma matter. Hawke-Petit showed her husband the essay -- titled "My Dad" -- after she was accepted to the school. You can read the excerpt from Hayley's essay, and more about her, by clicking here.

Petit referred to his daughter by nickname, "Hayes."

Petit On Michaela: 'Once You Had The Smile, You Knew You Were In'

"Once you had the smile, you knew you were in," Petit said of his daughter, Michaela.

Also described as shy, Petit said Michaela (referred to as KK Rosebud) was named after Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

"Hayley decided that her baby sister would be Michaela because Dr. Quinn J. Seymour was Michaela Quinn, the frontier doctor," Petit said.

Michaela also played basketball with her father, but Petit said she was bored watching games.

"I told her, 'This was going to be the big year,' and I said, 'You know, time is up. Hayley's going off to college and you're going to have to go to the UConn games with me. You're going to have to learn how to do your homework in the car like Hayes did.'"

Petit said he and his younger daughter bonded through music, specifically oldies.

"For an 11-year-old, her iPod became filled with the Beatles, Elton John, The Police and The Beach Boys. I think she had more Beach Boys songs than anybody," Petit said. "She would hear a song once in the car and know it and be able to sing it on key."

Many who knew Michaela spoke about how she loved to cook, making homemade tomato sauce and salad dressing.

"She loved the cooking channel and it made me crazy because when I came home and there was a basketball game on and she had dibs on the clicker and she was on the food channel, that was it. Sometimes, if it was a long day, I pulled rank. I usually ended up being relegated to the TV in the office upstairs so that she could keep watching the food channel," Petit said.

The father recalled how, in grade school, Michaela once returned home from school in tears about an incident when a classmate made fun of her.

"She had an innate sense of fairness that I didn't know that I saw sometimes, but heard about from her teachers that she would always stick up for the kids in the class if a kid was excluded," Petit said. "Maybe it was that that made her stick up for the kids that were being picked on."

Petit added, "She was a wonderful, wonderful little girl who was going to grow up to be a beautiful woman."

Men With Criminal Histories Charged

Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of Cheshire, and Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted, are charged in the case. Police accused the pair of intruding into the Petit family's home and holding the family hostage for hours before setting the home on fire and trying to flee.

Komisarjevsky and Hayes were each charged on Thursday with six counts of capital felony murder on Wednesday. On Tuesday, state police charged the two men with assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, arson, larceny and risk of injury to children. Hayes was charged in the sexual assault of Hawke-Petit, and Komisarjevsky in the sexual assault of Michaela.

New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington said he plans to seek the death penalty against both men.

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