A Social Circle teacher and mother of three fatally shot by her brother Friday was remembered by co-workers and parents she worked with as a loving, giving person who touched many lives in her few years in Georgia.

Cynthia Lundy, 33, was shot in the chest by her brother, Bret Alan Grant, 20, a plumber living in Conyers, during a family dispute in the yard of her Forest Avenue home.

What started as a verbal argument between family members grew into a physical confrontation, said Jim Fullington, special agent in charge of the Athens Regional Georgia Bureau of Investigations office.

"It appears alcohol was a factor in the initial domestic dispute," said Fullington.

Grant then went back to the car he had come to the house in, pulled out a handgun and fired one shot, which hit Lundy in the chest. Lundy's children and husband were at the home as well.

Officers with the Social Circle Public Safety Department, who also serve as firefighters, arrived shortly after and apprehended Grant without incident, said a SCPSD investigator. Lundy died before first responders arrived, and Grant, who is in custody at the Walton County Detention Center, was charged with felony murder.

Co-workers described Lundy, a first-grade teacher and mother of three children ranging from toddler-aged to teen-aged, as a genuine, giving person.

"Cynthia is the embodiment of a lady. She's just a beautiful person," said Brian Lezama, director and owner of the Georgia Arts Academy, where Lundy was in her first year directing the Mega-camp 2008 summer camp program.

He said she often took kids, parents and staff members aside to see how they were doing. "Which is a dying art," said Lezama. "People don't always take the time to do that."

The Georgia Arts Academy staff was in shock because of the homicide and grieving for her children, he said. "It's a tremendous loss not only to our staff and to the world of education," he said.

Dr. Ericka Anderson, Principal of West Newton Elementary School where Lundy taught first grade for the last two school years, said the staff were deeply saddened to hear about her passing. Lundy was supposed to start teaching first grade at Atha Road Elementary School in Walton County this school year.

"She was an exemplary teacher, very caring and she did her best for our students at all times," Anderson said.

When a student would say they couldn't do something, Lundy would look at them and not only tell them that they could do it, but would walk step by step until they were successful, said Anderson.

She also spoke constantly about how much she loved her kids.

"She had such a great love for her family," Anderson said. "At all times her concern was how her personal family was doing."

Parent Lilly Stalling, whose two children participated in the summer camp Lundy directed, echoed this observation. "She'd talk about her kids all the time," said Stalling. "She always made space to discuss her kids in the conversation... she loved them dearly."

Stalling said Lundy the kids in the camp loved and respected Lundy. "She was so easy, so soft, but she got the respect from the kids that she needed because she showed so much love," she said.

"She was so different from the other teachers," said Stalling, pausing. "Something about her, she stood out."

She remembered her first impression when Lundy was introduced as director as someone so small and quiet. But that behind that front lay the explosive dynamite of a "go-getter," said Stalling.

Lezama said Lundy and her family moved to Georgia a few years ago from Florida.

"She's loved in a lot of counties," said Lezama. "She touched everyone."

The visitation is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Wheeler Funeral Home, 11405 Brown Bridge Road.