Joyce was born in Elgin Illinois on 26 July 1932 to Roy Latham and Emma Latham. She, along with her older brother Edmound and sister Patricia Lived in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  Joyces mother died from diabetes when she was in high school and her father married Agnes Wood and they had two children, Carla and Terry together.

Joyce attended Beauty School in Chicago Illinois and after graduation she became a registered cosmetologist, working for many years in a local beauty shop in Crystal Lake. She Married Calvin Heidenreich in 1949. Calvin was an employee of the Northern Illinois Gas Co. and they lived in Crystal Lake for over 50 years. During that time Joyce also had her own makeup/wig business and she provided beauty treatments and haircuts to residents of the local retirement homes in the area. She also was a qualified yoga instructor and visited many of the local retirement and nursing homes and gave free yoga lessons.

Joyce was very family orientated and was actively involved with her parents and brothers and sisters and their families. She was an outstanding baker and always provided the desserts at family meals and celebrations.

After her husband's death in 2004, she remained in their home in Crystal Lake until she moved down to Florida to be near her brother, Terry in 2019. Joyce was diagnosed with Alzheimer's shortly after that and moved into an assisted living facility in Bradenton, Florida until she transferred to Grand Villa of Palm Coast in 2022. She passed away in the local hospice facility on   23 July 2025.

Joyce was very proud of those in her family who served their country in the Military, including her father, husband, both brothers, nephews and nieces. Donations to any Veterans organization would be a tribute to her memory.