Tina Claire Heyden was born Santina Claire Ingegnieros on February 14, 1937 in Jersey City, New Jersey, daughter to Ida and Alexander Ingegnieros. She grew up in Jersey City and attended Dickinson High School. While still in grammar school, she met and fell in love with her future husband, Fred Alan Heyden. On October 28, 1956 the two were married. Not long afterwards she moved to Bangor, Maine where Fred was stationed as a member of the United States Air Force. There she gave birth to her daughter Lynn Therese Heyden. Later the family returned to Jersey City where Tina gave birth to a second daughter, Lisa Claire Heyden. A few years later the family moved to Nutley, NJ where they settled and lived for many years. In February of 1990 Fred Heyden died from colon cancer. Tina continued to live in Nutley with her daughters until she died in February of 2001.