John deVille was born in Highlands in 1962 in a hospital that his sister converted to the nonprofit Peggy Crosby Center in the 1990s. His mother, Lynn deVille, was a teacher in Highlands and both she and his father, Ralph deVille, started the Stone Lantern in 1960 which remained a family business until 2019. His parents were married in a UU Fellowship Hall in 1959.

John holds a BA in philosophy from UNC Chapel Hill and a BS in Social Science Education from Western Carolina. He has taught American history, philosophy, and government at Franklin High School since 1996 and was Macon County Teacher of the Year in 2006. Since that time, he has been an advocate for strengthening public education, working as an activist at both the local and state levels. He is a professional tarot card reader and a podcaster. Links are in the UU View.