In 1947, the Yankee Network's flagship station, WNAC, celebrated its 25th anniversary, but this milestone was commemorated in a very low-key manner. And while Shepard continued on as head of the network, he was now in poor health; the day-to-date operation of the network was being handled by Executive Vice President and General Manager Linus Travers, a veteran of the network who had worked for Shepard since being hired in 1927 as an announcer and commercial manager. When Travers was promoted to an executive position at Mutual in September 1948, he was replaced by another long-time employee of the Yankee Network, George Steffy. In December 1948, John Shepard Jr., who had run the Shepard Department Stores and provided early financial support for his son John III's radio venture, died at age 91. John Shepard III died from heart disease in mid-June 1950, at age 64.