Thomas Henry Ventre, of Arnold, who came to Anne Arundel County more than 45 years ago and put down roots in community, government, and the arts, died July 10 at his home. He was 77.

After marrying his wife, Ann Weir, in 1968 and completing a master's degree in urban planning at the University of Southern California, Mr. Ventre and his new family moved east from Los Angeles to Pines-on-the-Severn in Arnold in 1973. He remained there for most of the next five decades, building a family of three children, a career in land-use planning, and a rotating collection of Alfa Romeo convertibles.

His professional career included time as a planner in both Los Angeles County and Anne Arundel County and several years as an official with the National Association of Home Builders. At one point, he mounted a campaign for a seat on the Anne Arundel County Council. He didn't win, but he often spoke of how much he enjoyed the experience and the friends he made during it.

Later, Mr. Ventre joined Maryland's Department of Natural Resources and its newly created Critical Area Commission, where his work often took him to Dorchester County and other areas on the state's lower Eastern Shore. He spent his final working years as a sales assistant for local home builder Koch Homes.

Mr. Ventre would often arrive to work in a late-70s Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce roadster – sometimes a red one, sometimes a green one. At one point he also owned a white one, completing the colors of the national flag of Italy, the country from which his grandparents emigrated. On summer days, neighbors watched him whip through local thoroughfares with the top down, sporting his trademark blue baseball cap with silver wings. Those cars also took him to practices and regattas of the Annapolis Rowing Club, with whom he rowed for several years, and to rehearsals and performances of the Annapolis Chorale, which he joined on a whim after spending years humming along to classical music he heard on public radio. Mr. Ventre also served terms as president of the Pines Community Improvement Association and board chairman of the Chase Creek Swim Club.

Thomas Henry Ventre was born in Scranton, Pa., on May 20, 1943, and grew up in nearby Old Forge. He graduated from Old Forge High School and Pennsylvania State University, then served in the Peace Corps in Brazil from 1964-1967. There he met Ann, also a Peace Corps volunteer, on the day they both took the Graduate Record Exam in the city of Sao Paolo.

He is survived by his wife, Ann Weir Ventre; his son, Ted Ventre, and daughter-in-law Kristen Bush Ventre of York, Pa.; his son, Tommy Ventre, and daughter-in-law Kristina Golden Ventre of Baltimore; his daughter, Saria Ventre Civis of Hagerstown; his brother, Francis (Bro) Ventre, and sister-in-law Mary Tibbals Ventre of Charlotte, N.C.; and his grandchildren, Vincent Dominick, Julia Dominick, Mariah Dominick, and Jackson Ventre. He was preceded in death by his sister, the late Virginia Ventre of Old Forge, Pa.

Services at this time are private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org. Online condolences may be made at www.barrancofuneralhome.com .