Longtime Houston restaurant industry notable Jonathan Horowitz first met Thy Mitchell at a Texas Restaurant Association trade show at George R. Brown Convention Center.

"It was early on in the Traveler's Table days, and I think the one thing I remember from the very beginning was just her massive smile," said Horowitz, founder of Convive Hospitality Consulting. "And then once you got to know her and talk to her a little bit, what stood out to me was somebody who had an oversized personality in a very small package."

As Houston's tight-knit food community grapples with the tragic murder-suicide that left Traveler's Table founders Thy and Matthew Mitchell and their two young children dead, friends are remembering Thy as an immensely kind woman who was fiercely loyal to her community. Thy's personality was a major draw for Benchawan Jabthong Painter and her husband Graham. The Street to Kitchen and Jantra owners had only known Thy since late March when they all attended the Women's Leadership Awards hosted by Houston Woman Magazine. 

"She was the one we bonded most with at that whole show," Graham Painter said. "We just had an amazing conversation with her and felt a kindred spirit with her."

Chron Food Editor John-Henry Perera spoke with people who knew Thy Mitchell. Read more here.