VIDALIA — At 27, Paul Reed surrendered his life to the Lord.

He spent every moment of his life from that day serving God, whether at Cornerstone Church, which he helped establish in the 1980s, or through a kind word to a stranger.

Reed, 78, died unexpectedly of a heart attack Wednesday that occurred at the very church he helped found.

He was known by many in the Miss-Lou as “Brother Paul,” a man who was genuinely happy to see you.

“He made you feel like you were the most important person in the world at that moment, and there was a good chance he was going to hug you,” said Beaux Pilgrim, who is married to Reed’s daughter Beth.

A native of Ackerman, Reed graduated from Ackerman High School in 1955 where he was class president. He arranged the class’ reunions through the years.

Reed graduated from Mississippi State University and later moved to Vidalia in 1965. He was the owner and operator of Reed Insurance from 1984 until he retired in 2009. His retirement was spent mostly riding his tractor, tending to his cows and garden and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Reed also served as president of the chamber of commerce and a member of the hospital and school boards.

He was a man who genuinely cared about his community and his neighbors, even those he did not know, Reed’s daughter Linda Whitaker said.

“We could be at a restaurant and the waitress could be looking a little down, and he would reach over and touch her hand and say, ‘Smile,’ and he would ask if they knew the Lord,” Linda said. “He brought a smile to everyone everywhere he went.”

Reed was also the family historian.

“It was quite enjoyable to sit and listen to all the stories of his childhood,” Linda’s husband Joe Whitaker said.

He was a lover of music and started a gospel concert series on the first Saturday of each month at Cornerstone 10 years ago.

Singer Brad Mount sang at that first performance and formed a friendship with Reed over the years.

“He motivated me to be a better Christian and be a better servant,” Mount said. “I think he had a tremendous impact directly and indirectly on the youth of Vidalia through the ministry Cornerstone had. He had a heart for them and wanted to see them in a relationship with God.”

While he devoted his time to saving souls, Reed saved at least one life in his lifetime as well.

Curtis Nelson, owner of Curtis Wrecker in Vidalia, recalls trick-or-treating when he was 4 years old and eating a piece of candy that had rat poison in it.

“My friend ran over to First Baptist and got Mr. Paul, and he came and picked me up and took me to the emergency room … if it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here right now. He saved my life for sure.

“Everybody loved Mr. Paul. He was a good man, a fine fellow. He always gave you his word and always did what he said he would.”

Reed was a man of action for sure, said his son Danny Reed.

“He never had a limit of how far he would go in his actions for you,” Danny said.

Danny serves as pastor at Cornerstone and says the ministry of the church was birthed from his father’s love of Christ.

“How he dealt with people who rejected (God) or who were belligerent, that is something he has passed on. He cared more about the people than their situation,” Danny said.

To his family, he was the perfect father, grandfather and great-grandfather, the man who taught them selflessness and whose devotion to his wife Betty taught them how to love others.

“I don’t know how you describe such a wonderful man,” Reed’s daughter Pattie Jones said. “He was a man that loved the Lord with all his heart and showed that love to everyone he met.”