Howard married Ruth Evelyn Martin (1895–1980) in March, 1916, and their children Ronald "Winkie" and Leslie Ruth "Doodie" who appeared with her father and David Niven in the film The First of the Few, playing the role of nurse to David Niven's character, and as a major contributor in the filmed biography of her father, ""Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn"". His son became an actor and played the title role in the television series "Sherlock Holmes" (1954). His younger brother Arthur was also an actor, primarily in British comedies. His sister Irene was a costume designer and a casting director for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His sister Doris Stainer founded the Hurst Lodge School in Sunningdale, Berkshire in 1945 and remained its headmistress until the 1970s.