Thomas Allen Wilbur, 72, of Cape Elizabeth, passed peacefully in his home on Saturday evening, August 1, 2026. Following his initial cancer diagnosis in 2014, he made a herculean recovery and remained cured until the summer of 2025. He treated those 12 years as a gift, lived in honor of the people he loved, and continued to challenge our assumptions about what was possible. “Where there’s a Wilbur, there’s a way!” he was often heard saying.

Tom was born and raised in the small town of Franklinville, New York, and spent a good deal of time Downeast at his family’s property in Sorrento, Maine. As a young child, Tom loved spending time outdoors, camping, sailing, and hiking with his parents and brothers. His parents, Carl and Charlotte, held a variety of interests that they passionately instilled in their sons. Tom grew up surrounded by a love of nature, discussions of philosophy, encouragement to problem-solve, woodworking, and especially playing music and singing.

Tom’s signature instrument was the tuba, which he began playing at age 11 when his elementary school band teacher was in need of a low-brass player. Initially, Tom had been drawn to the flute, but ever welcoming of a challenge—even in childhood—he agreed to learn the tuba. Later, in high school, Tom took up the upright bass in a band he formed with his classmates. A young man of many talents, Tom was also a strong athlete who played football and competed on the wrestling team.

After graduating from high school, Tom’s love of sailing, nautical navigation, and the ocean led him to attend New York Maritime College. Initially, he dreamed of becoming a boat captain; however, he soon realized that a career at sea would not support his dream of having a family and being present enough to share his passions with them. Instead, Tom changed course and matriculated at the University of Southern Maine during his junior year, where he pursued a degree in science and his teaching certification.

These credentials opened the door to adventure when Tom and his first wife, Cindy, set sail after their marriage to teach in Florida while living aboard their boat for a year. Even after finally settling down with his young family in the 1980s, Tom maintained his love of boating and the ocean. His 26-foot Westerly, “The Boat,” remained a prominent fixture in his life through many years of seasonal sailing adventures.

Tom was a lifelong musician and a highly praised tuba player, providing a vibrant oompah foundation for a number of area ensembles, including The State Street Traditional Jazz Band, which he played in with his brother, Steven; The Hadacol Bouncers; The Oktoberfest German Band; and Oompalele, a small ukulele and vocal ensemble led by his daughter, Eliza.

Tom also loved to sing and had a distinct style of tuba playing that involved vocalizing the notes as he played through his brass mouthpiece. This gave his sound a unique tone and infused his bass lines with melody.

Tom taught science and math at Cape Elizabeth Middle School and, for more than 20 years, was a prominent member of the school community. He coached football at the high school and assisted with theatrical productions at the middle school. He remembered the names of all his students and took great pride and pleasure in teaching, designing lessons that emphasized the natural world and the science of everyday life.

Tom saw the extraordinary in ordinary things, loved a good puzzle, and was passionate about sharing this outlook with everyone in his orbit. He was fascinated by science fiction writing and film and never hesitated to recommend “a good flick” he had recently seen, particularly if it involved time travel or journeys to another world. Being with Tom was a little like science fiction: his only limitations seemed to be the ideas he hadn’t thought of yet.

A deeply committed humanist, Tom was loved by many because of his ability to build connections with whomever crossed his path. Whether he was speaking with a fellow musician he had just met, a bagger at the grocery store, or a longtime acquaintance, Tom approached each interaction as though he was meeting a new friend.

In 2005, Tom married his childhood sweetheart, Dianne, welcoming her extended family and her grown children as his own.

Tom is survived by his wife of 21 years, Dianne, and their blended family of five children: Jessica Weber and her husband, Jonathan; Eliza Watson and her husband, Andrew; Audra Harvey and her wife, Nikole Kostiuk; Carl Langley; and Mark Broadbent and his wife, Helen. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Lia, Asher, Alec, Elizabeth, Molly, Lila, Genevieve, Hunter, Eleanor, and Winona.

Tom was also a beloved uncle, cousin, and friend. He was predeceased by his parents, Carl and Charlotte, and his brothers, David and Steven.

Services will be held at Hobbs Funeral Home in South Portland, Maine, on September 5, 2026, at 11 a.m., with a reception to follow immediately afterward.