Heesters was married twice: to Belgian actress Louise Ghijs (1906-1985) from 1930 until her death and from 1992-2011 to Simone Rethel. Heesters has two daughters from his first marriage and five grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, twenty-five great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandson as of 2011. His younger daughter Nicole Heesters is a well-known actress in the German-speaking world, as is his granddaughter Saskia Fischer.