Nashville is grieving the loss of six victims in The Covenant School shooting.

“I would swear on the Bible that he would have laid his life down for those kids,” a close friend and colleague that knew Mike Hill said.

“She was always just a bright light every time I was around her,” a pickleball instructor who worked with Dr. Katherine Koonce said.

Lives dedicated to serving others that's the common trait FOX 17 has learned about the Covenant School adults who lost their lives Monday morning.

Mike Hill, spent 14 years working inside the halls of the Covenant School. The father of seven children and 14 grandchildren. His family asked for support as those who knew Hill say it was impossible not to like him.

Pastor Jim Bachmann worked with Hill for over a decade, calling him a strong man with a tender heart.

“We need more Mike Hills in the world, the world would be a better place. I wouldn't have messed with Mike, if we'd had a conclave of big strapping, strong man, but underneath that a very tender heart,” Bachmann said.

Dr. Katherine Koonce, the head of the school, also remembered as a woman with a passion for helping children. It's something her pickleball instructor also picked up on.

“We would always talk about school, and because being a school teacher, you know, we related well with each other and she was just always such a bright light,” Melissa Powell said.

The Hill Family statement:

“We would like to thank the Nashville community for all the continued thoughts and prayers. As we grieve and try to grasp any sense of understanding of why this happened, we continue to ask for support. We pray for the Covenant School and are so grateful that Michael was beloved by the faculty and students who filled him with joy for 14 years. He was a father of seven children (Marquita Oglesby, Brittany Hill, Shakita Dobbins, Ebony Smith, Joshua Smith, Tawana Smith Garner, Jeremy Smith) and 14 grandchildren. He liked to cook and spend time with family.”

The victims are Katherine Koonce, Mike Hill, Cynthia Peak, Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney. Hallie, Evelyn, and William were just nine-years-old.

Stay with FOX 17 News for continuing coverage of The Covenant School mass shooting.