Rob Bromee never took his life for granted.

He lived in the moment, and jumped at the chance whenever it presented an opportunity for adventure.

Mr. Bromee, who lived in Cape Elizabeth, died May 12, just 17 months after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

He passed away at the age of 43 listening to the music of one of his favorite bands — The Grateful Dead.

“His priority in life was having fun, and having fun now,” said his wife, Kasey Bromee. “He was like this little supernova. He burned so bright, and so fast. He wasn’t going to be an old man.”

He was born in Gardena, Calif., in 1968, the son of James and Barbara Bromee. He grew up in New Jersey, but considered Maine his adopted home state.

Mr. Bromee and his wife met and fell in love while they were working at MBNA in Camden. He worked in the company’s information technology department. She was a secretary.

“Rob used to come and work on my computer,” his wife recalled.

At one point, they were planning to take a vacation in Jamaica, but “we looked at each other and said why don’t we get married,” his wife said. They were married in Jamaica.

That was just the beginning of what turned out to be a series of memorable adventures together.

But, as his wife said, the adventures came as no surprise to her.

When Mr. Bromee was in his 20s, he and his friend, Bob Trainer, followed the Grateful Dead on tour across the country.

Using Trainer’s motor home, the young men sold cold beer and grilled cheese sandwiches to help pay living expenses.

“He saw some spectacular shows,” his wife said. “I wasn’t a Dead fan when I met him, but I do like them now.”

Mr. Bromee also enjoyed Phish concerts and all kinds of music festivals.

His festival campsites were converted into multi-media attractions, featuring light shows, outdoor movies and music.

His wife said they sold their home in Lincolnville and set out for California in a two-seat convertible.

They left their car at the Los Angeles airport and flew to Maui in Hawaii, expecting to spend a week.

They ended up spending a month there. They eventually flew back to Maine, gathered their belongings and moved to Maui.

“We fell madly in love with Hawaii,” his wife said.

After living in Maui for about a year, the couple flew to Miami and bought a sailboat. They cruised through the Bahamas for six months.

“It was completely amazing,” his wife said.

They eventually moved to Vermont, where they lived until last year. They moved to Cape Elizabeth in August.

Mr. Bromee leaves behind two children, Cooper, 8, and Sadie, 6.

In lieu of flowers, a trust has been established for his children.

A celebration of his life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 9, on the summit of the Point Lookout Resort in Lincolnville. “We spent a lot of time there when we worked for MBNA. The views are just amazing,” his wife said.

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com