Astronaut Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Mission, with his family on August 26, 1963.
(CNN) -- Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, was honored Thursday at Washington National Cathedral in a memorial rife with mentions of heaven and earth.
Hundreds of mourners, including Armstrong's family and fellow astronauts, packed the massive house of worship for a public "celebration of (Armstrong's) life," three weeks after he died on August 25 at age 82. The cathedral's interim dean, the Rev. Dr. Francis H. Wade, called the ceremony an opportunity to "give thanks for a life well-lived and service nobly rendered."
Neil Armstrong, a hero who shunned fame
Armstrong earned his renown commanding the Apollo 11 space mission and landing on the moon on July 20, 1969, when he was 38.
"Neil will always be remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own. But it was courage, grace, and humility he displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at the service, about an hour before he presented Armstrong's family with the American flag that flew over Johnson Space Center on the day the space pioneer died.
Bolden didn't speak just on behalf of himself and NASA. The space agency chief also relayed portions of a letter President Obama wrote to the Armstrong family, which read, in part, "Future generations will draw inspiration from his spirit of discovery, humble composure, and pioneering leadership, in setting a bold new course for space exploration. The imprint he left on the surface of the moon, and the story of human history, is matched only by the extraordinary mark he left on the hearts of all Americans."
Remembering Neil Armstrong
Alternating between musical and prayer interludes, luminary after luminary described Armstrong as an extraordinary man who had performed extraordinary deeds, yet retained his humility and tried to diffuse the credit and fame he received among thousands of other NASA engineers, scientists, technicians and fellow astronauts.
Retired Navy Capt. Eugene Cernan was the last man to walk on the moon, in December 1972, when he commanded the Apollo 17 mission. He paid homage to the founding member of his exclusive fraternity.
"He understood the immensity of what he had done. Yet Neil was always willing to give of himself," Cernan said, later adding, "No one could have accepted the responsibility of his remarkable accomplishment with more dignity and more grace than Neil Armstrong. He embodied all that is good and all that is great about America."
Treasury Secretary John Snow, a friend of Armstrong's, called him "the most reluctant of heroes."
"With his uncommon humility and grace, Neil captured the very best of the American character and put it on display for the world to see," he said.
Armstrong's one small step resonated for all mankind
CNN's John Zarrella contributed to this reoprt
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Neil Armstrong at the NASA Training Center on September 1, 1963.
Commander Neil Armstrong, right, and pilot David R. Scott prepare for the launch of Gemini 8 on March 16, 1966. In orbit, Armstrong had to bring the capsule under control when it began to spin out of control after docking with an unmanned target vehicle, and the mission was aborted.
Armstrong poses for a portrait in July 1969.
Armstrong leads crew mates Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin and Michael Collins out of the space center on the Apollo 11 space mission to the moon.
Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, was launched on July 16, 1969, with astronauts Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins on board. Armstrong and Aldrin became the first and second men to walk on the moon, on July 20, 1969.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong is seen in the reflection of Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin's helmet during the pair's historic walk on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969.
Armstrong and Aldrin spent roughly two hours on the moon's surface. The photos of the moonwalk were taken by Armstrong.
Armstrong presents a pair of pizzas in his kitchen in Houston, Texas, on March 1, 1969.
The astronaut crew of the Apollo 11 mission are pictured in May 1969. Left to right are Neil Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, lunar module pilot.
Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins wave to crowds at a parade held in August 1969 celebrating their voyage.
A commemorative button from 1969 celebrates the moon landing.
Armstrong receives the first Congressional Space Medal of Honor from President Jimmy Carter, right, assisted by Capt. Robert Peterson, on October 1, 1978. Armstrong, one of six astronauts to be presented the medal during ceremonies held in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), was awarded for his performance during the Gemini 8 mission and the Apollo 11 mission.
President Richard Nixon applauds the Apollo 11 astronauts, who were confined in a quarantine trailer after their flight, on July 25, 1969.
Neil Armstrong talks about the space program during an appearance before a U.S. House committee in 1986.
Former Apollo astronauts meet with the media at the Apollo/Saturn V Center prior to a 30th anniversary banquet highlighting the contributions of aerospace employees who made the Apollo program possible on July 16, 1999. From left to right: Armstrong; Aldrin; Gene Cernan, who flew on Apollo10 and Apollo 17; and Walt Cunningham, who flew on Apollo 7.
Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin are honored on Capitol Hill in July 2009 on the 40th anniversary of their mission.
President Barack Obama poses for photographs with Armstrong in the Oval Office at the White House in 2009.
Armstrong testifies before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee about human space flight on Capitol Hill in September 2011.
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