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REIDSVILLE — Ted Hopkins knows what it is to lose a loved one under tragic circumstances.

His older brother, Tim, committed suicide at the age of 16, something Hopkins will never forget.

And as funeral director for the past 20 years at Wilkerson Funeral Home, Hopkins has heard many such stories — not only of dealing with death but also of coping with the other sorrows that families and individuals face.

Now Hopkins has put his experiences and the stories of others into a book, “Life Stories — Healing and Hope in the Wake of Loss.” The book tells how the author and others have faced tragedies and sorrows and have overcome them through their faith and trust in God.

The book will be released March 18, but copies can be purchased now through Hopkins’ Web site, www.lifestories.cc , or at Wilkerson Funeral Home, Reidsville Bible Book Store, Laynes Pharmacy or Annie’s Corner, the gift shop at Annie Penn Hospital.

The book grew out of an experience Hopkins had in February 2007.

“God spoke to me in the night,” he said. “That still, small voice spoke to me throughout the night, telling me he wanted me to write that the only true solution to loss and disappointment is the Kingdom of God.

“I woke up the next morning and wrote out the outline,” Hopkins said.

The first section of the book is Hopkins’ story about his brother’s emotional  downfall and subsequent death, how the entire family was “broken” by the death, and about God’s intervention and healing touch.

Four other stories are included in the book. Among them are:

The story of Jason Kendall Ray, the UNC-Chapel Hill mascot who was killed in 2007.

It talks about his spiritual heritage and the legacy he left the Carolina family and the world, Hopkins said.

The story of Marlo Peddycord-Francis, founder of “Dreamed for Me Ministries.” She turned toward healing and life after the loss of her husband, U.S. Air Force Capt.  James Richardson “Rick” Peddycord in 1997, Hopkins said.

Wrapped around the stories, Hopkins has included “what God has taught me over the last 20 years biblically as the answer to finding life in the midst of any tragedy.”

The Web site also is designed as to be interactive, and Hopkins hopes it will be a refuge where troubled people can find encouragement and hope. Space is provided for others to write their own stories.

A native of Eden, Hopkins is the son of Norman and Preston Hopkins. He was a 1978 graduate of Morehead High School and a 1982 graduate of the UNC-Chapel Hill.

Being a head cheerleader at UNC-CH helped Hopkins connect with Charlotte and Emmitt Ray, whose son, Jason, is included in the book.

While working in sales management with Proctor and Gamble, Hopkins met April Wilkerson. They were married in June 1984 and lived in Richmond, Va.

After moving back to Reidsville three years later, Hopkins began working for his father-in-law, Bobby Wilkerson, at Wilkerson Funeral Home. He became a licensed funeral director in 1992 and has served as manager of the funeral home since then.

He and April have three daughters, Louisa, Amelia and Bess.

Ann Fish is a Reidsville native but has lived in Eden since 1979. She is a retired newspaper editor and reporter. Contact her at annsomersfish@yahoo.com