Debbie Gaby is Beginning a New Chapter of Her Fairy-Tale Life A MATTRESS COVER STORY {by karen werner} 20 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | OCTOBER 2018

Debbie Gaby is back in the spotlight. A little over a year after her husband’s death, the effervescent Texan who for years invited Arizonans to come to Sleep America in pursuit of a better night’s sleep is opening up about how she is moving on. “I’m feeling good,” she said. “It took a while to be able to say that.” Born one of six children in Marshall, Texas, Gaby is a study in steely resilience. Her parents ran an antiques store that burned to the ground. They had no insurance, so the family lost everything. Just a few years later, Gaby found herself in another tough spot: divorced and supporting a young daughter at 18. Her salvation came by way of hard work. “I was a Realtor in Texas for 15 years and I’m very proud of that because I worked very hard,” she said. “I really had no life because, being a Realtor, you have the phone glued to your ear 24/7.” During that time, fate intervened and Gaby met “the man of my dreams,” Len Gaby, the former president of Simmons, a mattress man who had been in charge of worldwide operations. The two were driving up to a restaurant — OCTOBER 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 21