He is widower to Annie Pangborn, and father to Al and Todd Pangborn. Annie was killed in a car crash, with their younger son Todd, not long after the Beaumont affair that was the subject of The Dark Half. He is a gifted amateur magician and is able to produce a number of different and complex shadow puppets and sleight-of-hand tricks. He is now married to Polly Chalmers and lives in New Hampshire.