Fred Alan Heyden was born on September 14, 1936 in Jersey City, New Jersey, son to Fred and Mamie Heyden. He grew up in Jersey City and attended Dickinson High School. While still in grammar school, he met his future wife Tina Claire Ingengieros. On October 28, 1956 the two were married. Not long afterwards Fred and Tina moved to Bangor, Maine while Fred was stationed there as a member of the United States Air Force. There, in 1959, Tina gave birth to their daughter Lynn Therese Heyden. After Fred's time in the Air Force the family returned to Jersey City and Fred went on to study engineering at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. He graduated and became a technical engineer for such companies as Hoffman-La Roche and Ebasco Incorporated. Tina gave birth to another daughter, Lisa Claire, in 1968. Shortly afterwards the family settled in Nutley, New Jersey. Fred died on February 26, 1990 after a year and a half battle with colon cancer.