John A. Strand, III, 63, of La Crosse passed away at his home Friday, Feb. 7, 2014.

He was born in La Crosse on Feb. 18, 1950, to John A. and Grace E. (Hecht) Strand, II. John attended La Crosse schools while growing up and graduated from La Crosse Central High School in 1968. He later graduated from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with degrees in business administration and mass communications. While a student at the university, John used his technological expertise in wiring the first on-campus radio station.

John married Laurie Gibson in 1971, and they later divorced in 1991. He then married Mary Sheffield, and she preceded him in death in 2008.

John first began working for his family’s business, the 7-UP Bottling Co. in La Crosse, as a teenager. He eventually managed the company until it was sold in 1997. John also founded RAM Systems Inc. in 1981, which designed and developed software for the beverage industry and was serving as the company’s president at the time of his death.

Whether he was traveling around the world, taking a spontaneous road trip and exploring the countryside or enjoying new foods and cuisine, life was one big adventure to John. He enjoyed historic buildings and architecture and studying infrastructure of all kinds, and simply loved researching how things worked.

John is survived by his three children, Katie Strand, and her husband, Jason Turnidge, and their son, Asa of Kent, Ohio, Adam Strand of Orlando, Fla., and Hayley Strand (Adrian Henke) of Onalaska; his stepchildren, Craig Sheffield and his wife, Stacey, and their daughter, Ruth, of La Crosse, and Kristina Allen and her husband, Mathew Allen, and their children, Brigid and Aiden, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; his sister, Joyce Mickschl (fiancé, John Hagmeier) of La Crosse; Joyce’s children and their families, Kathy (Tim) Coughlin, Mary (Gary) Behrens, Sue Mickschl (John Berlanga); special friends, Roger King and Jennifer Hamilton, and Darcy and Cindy Haase; and the dedicated staff at RAM Systems Inc.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Congregational Church, 2503 Main St., La Crosse. The Rev. Bill Hoglund will officiate. Private family burial will take place in Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and will be donated in John’s memory. Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services of La Crosse, is assisting the family.

Special thanks to Dr. Paula Gill, the Mayo Clinic Health System Oncology Department, and the Mayo Hospice team for their outstanding care.