1937 saw the birth of his first grandchild Minette to his son Graham and wife Ann. His daughter Mary married in October of the same year.

When the second world war started Shepard was over military age so he joined the home guard. In 1942 he met Norah Carroll whom he married two years later. Tragedy was to strike again in 1943 when the ship his son Graham was serving on was attacked and sunk in the atlantic.

After the war he continued to work for Punch and in 1955 Ernest and Norah moved to Lodsworh a small village in West Sussex.

 

During April 1969 Shepard offered his original Pooh drawings to the Victoria and Albert Museum, and they accepted. In this year he also created a colour edition of "Wind in the Willows" and "Winnie the Pooh" On the 10th of December a special, luncheon was held by the directors of Methuen Books to celebrate his 90th birthday.

Shepard visited Surrey University in 1979 and gave them his remaining drawings, manuscripts, and notebooks.

In the Queen's Birthday honours list of 1972 E.H. Shepard was awarded the O.B.E.

On the 24th March Ernest Howard Shepard died aged 96 years at Midhurst in Sussex.

He gave the world so many original and wonderful drawings, but he is best remembered as the man who drew Pooh.