Serge McCabe Verriele, of Bellingham, Washington, left this earth and became a star in the sky on September 13, 2026.

Serge was born on December 9, 1949, in Malo-Les-Bains, France to Pierre & Alberte Verriele. Serge immigrated to the United States from France at a young age. He served in the U.S. Army and became a U.S. citizen in 1972 (but retained his French citizenship and French attitude).

Serge obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Fine Arts from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and his Master of Science degree in Photography from the Brooks Institute. Serge had a long and successful career in photojournalism, and his work was published extensively in many major newspapers and magazines. He held leadership and management positions at news organizations throughout the U.S. and completed his photojournalism career as the Director of Photography at The Oregonian in Portland, Oregon. He also created amazing art photography throughout his life and enjoyed sharing that art with others. Some of his photos may be viewed at www.sergephoto.com.

Serge had the soul and passion of an artist and the heart of an adventurer. He was determined to fully enjoy life and was very creative and intuitive. He applied his big brain and immense and varied talents to everything he did: cooking for family and friends, gardening, traveling, boating, restoring motorcycles and automobiles, surfing, snow skiing, scuba diving, motorcycle riding, piloting (seaplanes, fixed wing aircraft, and helicopters), crafting fine jewelry, fabricating metal garden art, woodworking, and completing home improvement and remodeling projects.

Serge was respected, admired, and loved by many people because he was a genuinely good human being and a truly extraordinary man: kind, generous, funny, smart, compassionate, and honorable. He had great integrity, strong core values and cared deeply about people and causes that were important to him. People sought opportunities to spend time with Serge, to have interesting and deep conversations, to laugh, to be inspired, and to connect with his calm, positive aura and strong internal spirit. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, son and cousin – and he also had many good friends that were important to him and contributed greatly to the fabric of his life. Serge cared deeply about and contributed time and resources to the protection and care of the natural environment and animals.

Serge is survived by his wife, Debra Olson; daughter, Christina Songer; granddaughter, Jacqueline Remington; grandson, Jacob Songer; sisters, Bernadette and Luce; many nieces and nephews; and members of his large extended family in France. Serge was preceded in death by his daughter, Genevieve Remington; father, Pierre Verriele; and his mother, Alberte McCabe.

Serge’s family requests that you leave a message on the guestbook below regarding your connection with Serge, your memories and stories about Serge, and how he may have impacted your life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Serge’s memory to an organization that promotes the well-being of the ocean and its creatures: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, www.seashepherd.org.