Kenneth W. Smith, a retired engineer, church singer and musical comedy performer, died of cancer Friday at his Severna Park home. He was 77.

Before his 1991 retirement, he was an electrical engineer at the Westinghouse Oceanic Division in Annapolis.

Born in Atlanta and raised in Waycross, Ga., he earned an engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1945 in connection with service in the Navy. In 1952, he earned a master's certificate in voice from the Peabody Conservatory. He was a lyric baritone.

Starting in the 1960s, he appeared in many community theaters, including the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre's production of South Pacific.

He was also in the Dinner Theatre of Annapolis' Show Boat and The Wizard of Oz. He also had leading roles in Man of La Mancha and A Man for All Seasons at the Spotlighters in Baltimore.

At the Senior Star Showcase at Essex Community College, he had the role of Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun and performed in White Christmas.

A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Cathedral and Read streets, where he sang in the choir for 38 years.

He is survived by his wife of 22 years, the former Kathryn McIntyre; two sons, Frank L. Smith and Alfred Smith, and a daughter, Katherine Smith Lomaskin, all of Arnold; two stepsons, Robert Lee Ranniger Jr. of Baltimore and Parker Ranniger of Reisterstown; a stepdaughter, Kathryn R. Staples of Vallejo, Calif.; and six grandchildren. A previous marriage to Lillian Prince ended in divorce.