Willie Heston - Family and Later Years

Family and Later Years

Heston was married twice. His first wife died, and he was married in 1956 at age 77 to the former Sarah E. Williams of Bay City, Michigan. He had two sons, John Heston and William M. Heston, Jr., and a daughter, Frances. Both of his sons played varsity football for the University of Michigan.

In the 1930s, Heston went into the real estate business in Detroit. He also established a cemetery in Flat Rock, Michigan. Heston ran a half-mile every morning until he was age 75, and remained vigorous and active into his eighties. A short time before his death at age 85, Heston told a reporter, "I don't run the half mile any more and I've quit going to dances, but I smoke seven cigars a day and I'm having a lot of fun loafing and living."

Heston died on his 85th birthday in 1963. He suffered from a kidney ailment while staying at his summer home in Lake Manistee, Michigan, and had been hospitalized for four weeks at a hospital in Traverse City. The pallbearers at Heston's funeral were former Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans Ernie Vick, Jack Blott, Bennie Oosterbaan, Francis Wistert, Harry Newman and Otto Pommerening.