Barbara Ripley Rahn (nee Myers) was born in Clarks Green Pennsylvania on November 17, 1916 to Marjorie (nee Clapp) and James Myers. Following her graduation from Oberlin College, she perused graduate studies in early childhood education at the Bank Street School for Teachers and later worked at schools across the United States. On May 10, 1941 she married Sheldon Rahn in New York City and together they had three children. The family relocated to Waterloo, Ontario in 1966 where Rahn served for six years as executive director of the YWCA of Kitchener-Waterloo, followed by supervising positions for Kitchener's first municipal day care centre and a regional home day care program.