A photo of USA Luge Marketing Manager Dmitry Feld is shown on the electronic scoreboard above the 1980 Rink ice in the Olympic Center’s Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19 during his celebration of life service. Feld died on Jan. 10 at the age of 68. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

LAKE PLACID — The phone rang three times through a silent Herb Brooks Arena before a familiar Ukrainian accent filled the room.

“Hello, USA Luge fans. This is your friendly marketing manager, Dmitry Feld. Please leave me your name, your phone number and your checking account number and I’ll be able to call you.”

Bill Greenspan, Feld’s older brother, played the voicemail message to hundreds of mourners at community leader Feld’s memorial service on Tuesday afternoon, March 19. He said that, since Feld died on Jan. 10 at 68 from complications of leukemia, he often called his brother’s voicemail to hear his voice again. As the first speaker at the memorial, he wanted to share Feld’s voice with the crowd one more time. Greenspan described Feld as an energetic, “outgoing person” who was friends with everyone.

“My task was to watch over him, but I failed at my job because I could never catch up with him,” Greenspan said. “Eventually, the KGB fired me.”

Feld, born in Russia and raised in Ukraine, served in a tank unit of the Red Army after graduating from school. Once he was discharged from the military, he began his career as a luge athlete.

Sandy Caligiore emceed Dmitry Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“He joined a group of meshuggeneh sliding down the slopes on their behinds,” Greenspan said of his brother’s career path.

He remembered his brother as “humble, responsible and a proud community member” of Lake Placid.

State Olympic Regional Development Authority President and CEO Ashley Walden, a luge Olympian who trained under Feld, remembered how Feld helped change her personal philosophy.

“I remember crashing in a race and feeling just defeated, only to look up and see Dmitry walking towards me. He was there to help me carry my sled. Along the way, he started to tell a story about being in the Army,” she said. “In those moments, he changed the perspective. And the perspective was that we’re not defined by our accomplishments in sports or in our careers, but we’re defined by the number of lives that we touch and the impact that we leave.”

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The Rev. John Yonkovig speaks during Dmitry Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Dmitry the patriot

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Lenny Kasten, Feld’s friend and fellow Ukrainian, said it was apt that Feld’s memorial be held on the same rink where the Miracle on Ice game took place.

“When United States beat Russia in 1980 Olympics, this was a message for all of us. Dmitry was such a big patriot of America that I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said.

Feld, who became an American citizen in 2001, was raised in Ukraine. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he began tirelessly fundraising for the war effort. In October 2022, he and longtime friend John Cogar, a veterinarian in Saranac Lake, traveled to Ukraine to work with a nonprofit agency that helped abandoned cats and dogs in war-torn areas.

Bill Greenspan, Dmitry Feld's older brother, calls Feld's voicemail so the crowd may hear his voice one more time at Feld's memorial service on Tuesday, March 19 in the Herb Brooks Arena. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Cogar described the trip as “one of the most meaningful experiences of my life” on Tuesday. He said he was surprised by Feld’s skill as a surgical technician during their trip, as well as how quickly he made an impression on the locals.

“It was amazing how people in this little neighborhood would say ‘Where’s Dmitry? Where’s Dmitry?’ I never got over that, that we’re in this foreign country for 10 days and already the whole neighborhood knew who Dmitry was,” Cogar said. “I think the way we can best honor his legacy is to emulate his example.”

Feld organized the donation of hundreds of thousands of pounds of equipment and supplies to the frontlines, hospitals and schools. He organized local benefits for Ukraine and sometimes came to St. Agnes Church to pray for Ukrainian troops with Rev. John Yonkovig, who is of Ukrainian descent. Yonkovig offered a Ukrainian peace prayer at the beginning of the memorial.

“God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons,” the prayer read in part.

Ukrainian skeleton Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych, draped in the Ukrainian flag, remembered Feld as “a real hero” for the Ukrainian sliding teams, both for his hospitality and humanitarian work after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Olympic Authority president and CEO and luge Olympian Ashley Walden wipes away tears as she pays tribute to her longtime friend and mentor, Dmitry Feld, at his memorial on Tuesday, March 19 in the Herb Brooks Arena. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“In normal life, I am a physicist,” he said. “And when you have a big body mass as a planet, they have (their) own gravity field, the same way Dmitry had (his) own gravity field because of his smile and the person he was. He was amazing.”

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Dmitry the helper

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His childhood friend Pavel Novoselsky remembered him as a “people person” who was always there to help people in need — including by acting as Novoselsky’s immigration sponsor.

Pavel Novoselsky speaks during Dmitry Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“There is a saying, a friend in need is a friend indeed,” he said. “It is perfect to describe Dmitry, going the extra miles to give me a hand.”

“I’ve never seen another human being who could be so generous and so giving and so positive,” said Jason Hooker, Shipman Youth Center executive director.

Hooker said that Feld remembered personal details about every student he ever encountered at the youth center.

“The gentleman was a steel trap,” he said. “It was just beyond remarkable.”

Shipman Youth Center board president Michael Durham remembered Feld, who was board president until his death, as a tireless fundraiser and volunteer who organized the annual I Love BBQ and Music Festival to benefit the youth center.

“People would walk away with a lifetime friend and less money in their bank accounts” after meeting Feld, Durham said.

Andy King of the Bastey Boys competition barbecue team said Feld was a devoted friend and barbecue lover with friends all over the globe. He recounted a time that Feld, knowing King was a Boston Bruins fan, invited him via email to see the Stanley Cup in 2011 after the Bruins won it.

“Even his emails had an accent, if you ever read one of his emails,” King said.

Feld joined King and the Bastey Boys two years ago at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. King said that, after four days, Feld had made more friends in Memphis than he had in 22 years. He also was able to gather funds and supplies to send to Ukraine.

“If everyone were half the person of Dmitry, there would be no trouble in this world,” King said.

Feld was also on the board of the Adirondack Arc, an organization whose mission is to provide opportunities to people with developmental disabilities. Les Parker, former Arc executive director, said Feld was “a rock.”

“His support was essential in planning and funding our successful quest to become the first fully accredited developmental disability organization out of the hundreds of programs in New York state,” he said.

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Dmitry the friend

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Other friends remembered Feld’s boundless energy and antics.

Bob Hughes, former marketing director of USA Luge, was the person who originally brought Feld to Lake Placid, which would eventually become his adopted hometown. Feld worked as a coach, team manager and, eventually, joined the marketing department.

“To say he was unorthodox in his business dealings would be an understatement of the highest form,” Hughes said. “When you sent Dmitry out to do something, you kind of did it looking the other way because you knew it would get done, but you didn’t actually want to know how he got it done.”

He remembered when Feld was asked to be the translator for a Russian club hockey team in 1987 prior to their match with the U.S. team.

“So, what happens? First their food gets better, they get better hotel rooms. Dmitry’s just, he’s a ramrod getting everything done for these Russians,” he said.

When the hockey game happened, Feld got a piece of the action, walking out onto the ice in the middle of play to advocate with the referee on behalf of the Russian coach, who did not speak English.

“The (Russian) coach said ‘You can’t do that.’ And Dmitry, of course, said ‘Sure I can, watch this,'” Hughes said.

Tony Shimkonis, Feld’s friend and a luge club official, remembered one of his first interactions with Feld: a grappa and food pairing party at Feld’s house. The pairings were unusual, he said.

“(Dmitry) was pairing his grappa, I swear to the heavens, with doughnuts,” he said. “He sees a puzzled look on my face, wondering how we’re going to do this, and he says, ‘Tony, it’s like tequila shot. Have bite of doughnut, take drink of grappa, and it’ll be wow!'”

Jan Katzoff, one of Feld’s fishing buddies, went on several Alaskan fishing trips with him.

He said Feld was the only person who loved fishing more than he does — despite Feld’s tendency to get seasick. He remembered a recent fishing trip during which Feld began purchasing drones on Amazon to send to Ukraine.

“I’m thinking, even in the middle of a fishing trip to Alaska, these guys never stop trying to support the Ukrainians in their war against Russia,” Katzoff said.

He added that his trips around the world with Feld showed him that “humanity is universal.”

“That was the brilliance of D. He treated everyone well, always went the extra mile and was a friend to the world. He had the ability to see the bigger global picture. There was nothing better you could ever say than ‘I was a friend of Dmitry Feld’s.'”

ORDA CEO Walden, the final speaker, ended her speech by calling upon the Lake Placid community to support Feld’s widow, Linda, and their son, Dima.

“Everyone knows that Lake Placid is famous for miracles,” Walden said. “But the miracle of Dmitry is one we’re all honored to be a part of. Dima and Linda, we stand behind you. It’s our turn to return the favor and support you like you’ve supported us.”

Former USA Luge marketing director Bob Hughes shares a story about longtime coworker and friend Dmitry Feld at Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Dr, John Cogar speaks during Dmitry Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Shipman Youth Center board Executive Director Jason Hooker honors Dmitry Feld's years of community service at Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Andy King speaks during Dmitry Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Ukrainian skeleton Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych remembers Dmitry Feld's hospitality and humanitarian work for Ukraine at Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Les Parker speaks during Dmitry Feld's memorial in the Herb Brooks Arena Tuesday, March 19. (News photo — Andy Flynn)