John Jay Harris on 50 Years in Lehi, Purple Pig Pizza, and a Life of Service

John Jay Harris Lehi Education Purple Pig Pizza

John Jay Harris on 50 Years in Lehi, Purple Pig Pizza, and a Life of Service

Introduction

At a Glance

Episode Highlights

Stories from the Interview

Arriving in Lehi, 1972

The Purple Pig Pizza Dynasty

Kurt Seville and the Lehi Marching Band

The Pixar Classroom

Songs as First Words

Changing the Geology of Lehi

The Tithing Barn and Square Dancing

The Flood of 1983

Historical Insights About Lehi

Community & Legacy Themes

Words That Stay With You

Related Lehi Topics

Photo & Visual Suggestions

Full Transcript

Chapter 1: Introduction to Roots and Branches of Lehi

Chapter 2: Meet John Jay Harris

Chapter 3: John's Early Life & Family Background

Chapter 4: Growing Up in Lehi

Chapter 5: The Purple Pig Pizza Legacy

Chapter 6: Changes in Lehi Over the Years

Chapter 7: John's Musical Journey

Chapter 8: A Career in Special Education

Chapter 9: Philosophy & Approach to Teaching

Chapter 10: Memorable Moments in Teaching

Chapter 11: Advice for Aspiring Educators

Chapter 12: Reflecting on Retirement

Chapter 13: Creating a Successful Classroom Environment

Chapter 14: Continuing Community Involvement

Chapter 15: The Rock Polishing Analogy

Chapter 16: Historical Preservation Efforts

Chapter 17: Final Thoughts & Future Hopes

From the beloved Purple Pig Pizza and the Lehi High marching band to pioneering autism education in Utah County and polishing rocks across the valley—one man's story of roots, branches, and relentless community care.

Guest Profile

John J. Harris

Special Education Teacher (36 years)

Shane Lee Band — Drums

Photographer & Historical Marker Volunteer

Lehi resident since 1972

John J. Harris has spent more than fifty years woven into the fabric of Lehi, Utah—a town he moved to as a young child in 1972 and never truly left. In this warm and reflective interview, John shares the story of growing up in a close-knit Lehi where neighbors waved on Main Street, drinking fountains ran constantly in Wines Park, and everyone knew the Harris family thanks to the beloved Purple Pig Pizza. His memories paint a vivid picture of small-town Lehi before the explosive growth of recent decades, offering listeners a heartfelt glimpse into the community's past.

John's story matters because it bridges generations. As a longtime special education teacher, a musician in a local band, a photographer, and a volunteer deeply involved in historical preservation, he has shaped Lehi in ways both seen and unseen. From helping pioneer autism education in the 1980s to placing polished beach rocks on playgrounds across the valley, John embodies the spirit of service, creativity, and community connection that defines Lehi's heritage.

Whether he is teaching children, documenting historical sites, or supporting his wife's classroom at Sego Lily Elementary, John continues to strengthen the roots of Lehi while inspiring future branches. His interview is a celebration of education, family legacy, local history, and the enduring charm of a town that still feels like home.

Join host Ryan Harding for the full conversation with John Jay Harris—a discussion spanning five decades of Lehi history, education, music, and the little moments that bind a community together.

Guest

Role in Lehi

Educator, Musician, Photographer, Volunteer

Years Discussed

1970s – 2020s

Episode Number

RB-035

Primary Topics

John recalls moving to Lehi as a child and discovering a town where "everybody knew everybody." Neighbors waved as cars passed on Main Street, and the pace of life moved with the rhythm of front-porch conversations and unlocked doors. It was a Lehi before the explosive growth—a town defined by relationships rather than traffic.

John's parents, Jerry and Annette Harris, opened Purple Pig Pizza and built more than a restaurant—they built a community living room. Decades after closing, old-timers still approach John to reminisce about the pizza. He jokes that if any Harris sibling ever needs a kidney, they could auction a dozen Purple Pig pizzas to the "old Lehi people" at a premium.

As a freshman at Lehi High School, John joined the band under Kurt Seville, a director who transformed a small-town ensemble into a regional powerhouse competitive with American Fork and Sky View. That foundation in music stayed with John for life—he still plays drums today with the Shane Lee Band.

Early in his teaching career, John learned that a challenging student was obsessed with Pixar. He completely redesigned his classroom theme, gathered his own children's Pixar toys, and created a world that the student recognized as his own. The child walked in, looked around, and declared, "I'll be back from time to time." He returned—for two years.

John's classroom used roughly fifty songs every single day—for transitions, greetings, weather reports, math, and reading. At monthly parent programs, families witnessed something remarkable: the first verbal language some children ever spoke was a song John had taught them. Because songs are memorized scripts, they bypass the anxiety of composing sentences and unlock a child's voice.

John and his wife collect beach rocks from San Diego, tumble them for weeks through abrasive grit, and scatter the polished stones across Lehi playgrounds. He imagines a thousand-year-old geologist puzzling over why California beach rocks are concentrated in this valley. For John, each rock is a lesson in adversity: "You cannot polish rocks in marshmallows."

Through his work with the historical marker society, John photographed the ceremony at the old tithing barn behind Bruce Webb's home—where youth square danced and the community gathered to honor a place where pioneers once brought in-kind offerings. These markers, John hopes, could one day anchor a guided historical tour of Lehi, much like the Road to Hana in Maui.

John remembers the day residents were excused from sacrament meeting to fill sandbags and protect homes from rising canal waters. He also watched the town of Thistle disappear from the phone book after a landslide blocked the river at Spanish Fork Canyon. The experience taught him how tightly knit Lehi was—and how quickly a community could mobilize when neighbors were in danger.

1970s Small-Town Life

Lehi was a close community where neighbors waved, drinking fountains on Main Street ran continuously, and everyone knew the Harris name.

Purple Pig Pizza

A major local business and cultural gathering place for decades, still remembered fondly by longtime residents.

Lehi Junior High

The "new" junior high was built in 1987–88, a milestone in the district's expansion.

Marching Band Prominence

Under Kurt Seville, Lehi High School's marching band rose to compete with powerhouse programs across Utah County.

Autism Education Growth

From one small classroom in the early 1990s to dozens today, Lehi became a hub for special education innovation.

Historical Markers

Sites like the old tithing barn and the 1983 flood canal are now commemorated with plaques and community ceremonies.

1983 Flood Response

Residents left church services to fill sandbags, demonstrating the town's instinct for mutual aid in crisis.

Community Traditions

Square dancing, youth involvement, and neighborhood gatherings around historical sites continue to define Lehi's social fabric.

Everybody knew everybody… you would always be up, heads up, and waving at whoever you passed.

On Lehi in the 1970s

That child is doing their very best at that moment.

On Compassionate Teaching

Sometimes the first language we heard from a child was a song we taught them.

On Music in the Classroom

You cannot polish rocks in marshmallows.

On Adversity & Growth

People love this town… but we've got to be able to take care of them.

On Lehi's Future

This episode connects to a broader archive of Lehi stories. Readers interested in John Jay Harris's memories may also want to explore these themes from the Roots & Branches of Lehi collection:

Episode RB-035 · John J. Harris · Interviewed by Ryan Harding · Recorded 2025

Ryan Harding: Welcome to Roots and Branches of Lehi, the podcast where we get to know the faces, stories, and lives that make up our community. I'm Ryan Harding, and I started this podcast as a way for us all to connect with the people we live alongside. Growing up in a small town, I learned that connections go beyond blood. They're built through shared experiences, friendships, and the moments we celebrate together. Each week, we'll sit down with someone new from Lehi to share their unique story, their passions, and what they love most about living here. So whether you've been here for years or just arrived, join us as we deepen our roots and reach out to our branches one story at a time.

Ryan Harding: Welcome, John J. Harris, to the Roots and Branches of Lehi podcast, where we get to know you and many other people.

John Jay Harris: Exciting for you. I'm happy to be here. Nice to meet you.

Ryan Harding: Nice to meet you, too. Obviously, I don't know you yet, and so the listeners get to know you at the same time I do. Tell me your background as far as born and raised here. Where were you born? What brought you to Lehi? Give me a little background there. Let's start.

John Jay Harris: I was born in Northern California, a little town called Nevada City. And we lived in Grass Valley, California. It was just this beautiful little mountain on the other side of Donner Summit. And I was born there and I went to kindergarten and most of my first grade year.

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