Dena Barabash remembers Kelowna's Mia Papadopoulos as full of sunshine, lighting up every room she walked into.
The chef and sommelier from Kelowna died unexpectedly over the weekend.
Barabash owns Details Design Inc. planning luxury events and worked with Papadopoulos in the hospitality industry. The two met and became friends about six years ago.
"It feels like forever, because it's Mia," Barabash said. "You can't put a limit on how long I've known her because it feels like I've always known her."
Papadopoulos was working at Lakehouse Home Store teaching classes in the cooking school before she died.
"She started at Lakehouse I think just over a year and a bit ago, and she was at Krafty prior."
Barabash said it was while Papadopoulos was working the front of house at Krafty Kitchen that she really got to know her.
"As soon as I knew Mia was working I would go there," Barabash said. "It didn't matter if I had someone to go out for dinner with or not, I'd sit up at the var at Krafty and Mia would host, and she would host everyone who was sitting up at that bar and it would be the best night... And then moving over to Lakehouse she was building that same client base, her followers the Mia Club."
When Papadopoulos wasn't focused on food, wine and hospitality, Barabash said her friend liked to keep active.
"Mia was always going up Knox [Mountain]. She was an avid hiker, cyclist, and skier. There wasn't anything Mia didn't do exceptionally well."
Papadopoulos' death is a loss for everyone who knew her, Barabash added that her friend was excellent at connecting people and making friends.
"She never had a bad day. She was sugar to my saltiness... The positivity that she had is something I think we need more of everywhere."
Barabash said she expects legacy events to be held in memory of Papadopoulos in the future.
"Every day is special. Every day is important. She treated every day that way. She woke up happy and she went to bed happy. I think we all could learn to just be better, do better, and be like Mia."
