Charles Jeffery Christian, the 46-year-old Floyd County man who was fatally shot Sunday near his Wilkerson Road residence, was “caring, generous,” and “kind-hearted,” said high school friend Johnny Kidd.

“That’s the way I remember him — a friend,” Kidd said.

The Christian family was devastated by the loss, said mother Betty Christian.

Christian, an Eagle Scout and avid collector was known as Jeff to his friends and Jeffery to his parents. He had a passion for painting scenery, she said.

In addition to renovating his 960 Wilkerson Road home, which he had owned since he was 18, Christian was also working on his parents’ house and could be counted on to look after his mother and father should they ever need anything, his mother said.

“If the least little thing was wrong with our car, all I had to do was call,” she said.

The father of two was a hard worker who had recently closed his Shorter Avenue pawnshop and was running Waste Management Services at the time of his death, Betty Christian said.

“He just never could slow down,” she said. “He was just constantly doing something.”

Shooting victim Phyllis Hayes Avery, 36, who on Tuesday remained in the neuro-intensive care unit at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, Tenn., works as a receptionist and handles camp applications at Zion farms, said Angie Veugeler, 29, marketing and special events director at the facility.

“She is just a really, really sweet person. She always talked about her son. She’s just really family oriented,” Veugler said.

Avery also taught an English class at Georgia Highlands College in the spring while working at the farm.

She and her mother own horses, Veugler said, and loved to go trail riding.

“It’s awful,” Veugler said. “I was just completely shocked. I just pray that she is going to be OK and pull through.”

Christian’s dog, a 12-year-old red chow mix named Lucky, also remained in the hospital at Lakeview Animal Clinic after being hit during the shooting.

The dog appeared to have no feeling in his rear legs and had no bladder control, said Mary Gresham with the clinic, but clinic workers remained hopeful Tuesday,

“She’s still critical and not out of the woods yet, but she is showing some slight improvement,” Gresham said.

Staff writers Heath Hooper and Mike Perry contributed to this report.