Barbara May Theresa Werle was born on October 6, 1928, in Mount Vernon, New York. She became a ballroom Dancer after graduating from high school, winning the acclaimed Harvest Moon Ball in the early 1950s. As part of the dance team Barbara and Mansell, she toured the U.S. Her television credits ranged from appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show; a starring role on the short-lived series, San Francisco International Airport, from 1970 to 1971; and recurring roles on the NBC television series, The Virginian, during the 1960s and 1970s.