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Why have audiences for decades experienced such an emotional reaction to this play, frequently being moved to tears by the manner in which Act III ends?

Because the characters are so real and everyone in the audience has experienced the same events and emotions as the characters on stage.  By watching the characters on stage deal with these things, it takes the audience members along with them to relive their own personal events.  It is a natural reaction.  That's why the play is called "Our Town"--it is relative to the characters on stage and to every person in the audience.

Because what the audience experiences from watching Act III no doubt transports members back into their previous years and think about the same situation that occurred to them. That is what makes this so appealing. They are the experiences of the common person, rather than some royal lord or king.

It's not uncommon to relate to characters in a play or to have shared some of their experiences--that's the very nature of drama, after all--but not every stage production with relevant characters and common experiences moves many in an audience to tears, as Our Town has often done. What is there specifically in the conclusion of that play that reaches people so deeply and personally?