WASHINGTON - A family's pain was shared by hundreds who filled the D.C. Armory Monday night for a memorial service for Major General David Wherley (ret.) and his wife Ann Wherley, both 62, both killed in last week's horrific Metro crash.

"My heart is dark and heavy with the loss of my parents," said Betsy Regan, the victims' daughter. "My heart breaks most for my daughter Evan who is too young to remember the grandparents who rejoiced in her every moment."

The high school sweethearts were coming up on their 40th wedding anniversary.

Wherley had served as the commanding general of the D.C. Armory for five years, until June 2008. 

After his retirement, the couple threw themselves into volunteer work. They were returning from an orientation at the Walter Reed volunteer program when they died in last Monday's Red Line disaster. 

Among the attendees was Lt. Russell Kaufman, who was wounded by sniper fire in Iraq (web | news) and is still unable to talk. Kaufman was like a son to Maj. Gen. Wherley, who made Kaufman's recovery his focus. "General Wherley basically committed an incredible amount of time to going through, physically, with Kaufman -- sitting in physical therapy sessions, speech therapy sessions," said another service member.

"Coming to the ceremony and kind of watching some of the remembrances, you know, it gets even more real -- and now it's definitely real now, with the family and the tremendous outpouring of support," said Maj. Roland Lane. "It's tough."

Maj. Gen. Wherley and his wife will be interred Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery.

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