Canberra-based relatives and friends have paid tribute to Australian art gallery owner Kevin Reid, who was shot dead by masked robbers in the United States.

Described as a "jack of all trades" who became a beloved member of every community he lived in, Mr Reid was just days short of celebrating his first anniversary with wife Kari Graham-Reid when he was shot while walking along a residential street in Savannah, Georgia on Wednesday night.

His brother Michael said the 54-year-old was the kind of person everybody knew and liked, and who would happily sit down for a beer to sort out a problem rather than fighting.

"He'd remember everyone's names and could perfectly remember all these stories from decades ago," he said. "He was a real gentleman, and just an all-round good guy. I was proud to call him my brother."

Mr Reid was born in Canberra and spent most of his youth in Belconnen, attending Holt Primary School and Lake Ginninderra College.

He later moved to Queensland and then to Alice Springs, before moving to the US to marry Ms Graham-Reid.

Family friend Monique Meijer first met Mr Reid when she was five and he was a student in her father's martial arts classes. She said he was like an uncle to her.

"He was a very warm person, and always very generous," she said.

Mr Reid, who first visited the art friendly community of Savannah in 1992, opened what he believed to be the only Aboriginal art gallery on America's eastern seaboard.

He developed a great love of Aboriginal art after living in Alice Springs for 25 years.

He moved to Atlanta last July, relocating to Savannah in February and opening his gallery in April.

In an interview last month aired on WOTC-TV, he said he had always been drawn to Savannah.

"I'm from Alice Springs right in the middle of Australia, 27,000 people, so I said to her if I'm going to move over to America I ain't going to live in Atlanta. So we flipped a coin and Savannah came up," he said.

Mr Reid's death has shocked the city, where he quickly became a beloved member of the close-knit community.

Ms Graham-Reid took to Facebook to pay tribute to her "wonderful" husband, who she said moved her out of the way when the three suspects approached them.

"Kevin was the most wonderful man I've ever known, he would give the shirt off his back to help anyone in need," she wrote. "I treasure every minute we had together."

His death marks the city's 42nd homicide this year.

The family is flying to the United States for a memorial, while there are plans to open his gallery for the public to buy the artwork and support his family.

– with AAP