Deborah Gayle Hubartt Bailey

On May 16, 2024, Deborah Gayle Hubartt Bailey reached her life’s goal and went to her eternal home with the Father. There was no one quite like Debbie. She was passionate about life and endlessly resilient. Her drive was to teach, her pride and joy were her children, and her heart was dedicated to God and His word.  

Debbie was born on June 22, 1951 in Louisville, Kentucky to the late George and Ardith (Calvert) Nelson. She had two younger brothers, Guthrie and Phillip. As a child, she loved visits with family and cousins. Her father was an insurance agent and so it was also a highlight to get to travel with him on business trips as a family.

In 1971, she graduated from Florida College with her AA degree. In 1973, she received her BA degree in Education from Western Kentucky University. Over the next 13 years, she taught grade school in four different states with her forte being 2^nd grade. In 1977, she married Rick Allen Hubartt, a gospel preacher with a can-do spirit. While living in Ohio, all three of their children were born: Christine, Bethany, and Alex. Debbie made their childhoods a joy and adventure with creative play spaces, exciting holiday activities, educational outings, and so much more. When her oldest was 6 years old, Debbie decided to homeschool and educated all three children at home all the way through their high school years. 

Debbie loved laughter and fun, but she also knew how to live through the hard. In 1999, Rick passed away and Debbie raised 3 young children on her own. Once all of her kids graduated, she went back to teaching in the public school system. It was a rigorous task but she put her heart into it and was determined to provide a learning experience for her students. In May of 2023, Debbie officially retired from teaching. Between her teaching time prior to children, after children, and homeschooling, this retirement capped a teaching career of over 40 years. 

The year 2023 brought another blessing to Debbie’s life. In September, she married Alan Bailey, a college sweetheart and a man who treasured Debbie for who she was. Although their time on this earth together was brief, they enjoyed laughter, travels across the country, and time together. Alan stayed by Debbie’s side as her journey on this earth came to an end, loving her every step of the way. 

Debbie believed that God gives you what you need when He knows you need it. She would also always say “when something bad happens, there is something good right around the corner.” She wasn’t afraid of death. In fact, one way that she described peace was “getting in bed at night and knowing that if you don’t wake up, it’s okay.” Although her family will miss her greatly, we are confident there was something good right around the corner for her. She is home. 

Visitation will be Wednesday, May 29 from 4pm-6m and Thursday, May 30 from 11am-1pm at Flanner Buchanan - Washington Park North. The funeral will begin at 1pm on May 30, followed by a burial service. 

You may send flowers by visiting our flower store. As an alternative, the family welcomes you to make a donation to Florida College in the name of Deborah Hubartt Bailey.