Helen Louise Barney Smith, formerly of Monticello Drive, Winston-Salem, died Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003, at Manor Care in Yardley, Pa. She was born July 7, 1916, in East Laurium, Mich., to John Willis Barney and Elva Grace Snyder Barney and grew up in Elon College, where her father was an English professor. After graduating from Elon College in 1936, she taught public-school music in Enfield, Beaufort and Rocky Mount schools; studied piano at Juilliard with Guy Maier; and earned a master's degree in music from Columbia University. Helen married Edward Leonidas "EL" Smith in 1941. They settled in Elon College and were energetic leaders in church and community music and drama programs in the Burlington/Elon area. Helen was organist and choir director at Webb Avenue Methodist Church for many years, director of the WENOCA (Western Electric) chorus and piano teacher at the Elon College elementary and high schools. Winning many state and national scholarship awards, her students were recognized throughout the state by the N.C. Federation of Music Clubs and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She represented the National Guild as a judge for the National Guild Auditions programs in several states, and some of her compositions for young pianists were published as part of the Sherwood Music School (Chicago, Ill.) curriculum. In 1960, Helen and her husband, EL, moved to Winston-Salem, where Helen taught piano in her home as well as in the preparatory department of Salem College. For more than 20 years she served as organist of First Baptist Church and was very active in the local piano teachers organizations, arranging joint student-teacher recitals. At the age of 59 she resumed concertizing in North Carolina and played in international piano competitions in Washington and New York. She continued to be a devoted member of First Baptist Church and pianist for the Baraca Sunday school class until 2001, when she moved to Yardley, Pa., to be near her children. Mr. Smith died in 1998. Surviving are her two children, Eleanor Smith Hartley of Florham Park, N.J. and Edward Leonidas Smith Jr. of Lawrenceville, N.J.; four grandchildren, Brian Leonidas Smith, Laura Margaret Smith, Mark Bens Hartley and Thomas Conn Hartley; and two great-grandchildren, Bridget and Lisa Smith. The funeral service will be held by Dr. David Hughes at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11 in the First Baptist Church sanctuary. Burial will follow at Forsyth Memorial Park.