Helen L. Stewart, a registered nurse and retired educator, died Wednesday of heart failure at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. The longtime Forest Hill resident was 70.

Helen Lewis was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario. She earned a degree in 1956 from the St. Francis School of Nursing in Pittsburgh. In 1975, she earned a master's degree in adult education from the Johns Hopkins University.

The next year, she married Frank M. Stewart, a civil engineer at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

During her 30-year career, Mrs. Stewart taught nursing students at Harford Community College, St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing and Essex Community College. She retired in 2000.

Mrs. Stewart was a member of New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Abingdon, where she was pianist and choir director for many years.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. today at her church, 128 St. Mary's Church Road.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Stewart is survived by a son, Andrew J. Stewart of New Freedom, Pa.; four daughters, Linda J. Stewart of Baltimore, Lois S. Cowles of New Market, Sharon Stewart-Gieseman of Jackson, Mich., and Karen L. Gauss of Forest Hill; and nine grandchildren.