Levie (known as Louis) Hillesum was married to Riva Bernstein. The couple had a daughter Esther|(known as Etty) and two sons: Jacob (known as Jaap) and Michael (known as Mischa).
Levie Hillesum was a secondary school teacher of classical languages in Middelburg, Hilversum and, from 1924, in Deventer, where the family lived on the Duymaer van Twiststraat. In 1928 he became headmaster at the Stedelijk Gymnasium in Deventer. On 29 November 1940 Levie Hillesum was dismissed from this position because he was Jewish.
H. Hamburger and J.C. Regtien, Joodse oorlogsmonumenten in de provincie Overijssel, alsmede algemene oorlogsmonumenten waarop joodse namen voorkomen. Profiel (Bedum 2002) 21
In addition, a Jokos file (number 31637) on this family is at the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Access is subject to authorization from the Stichting Joods Maatschappelijk Werk.