Written by Carina Monica Montoya

Who is behind the wheel of the most sought-after truck in Fillmore? His name is Jay Morrissey, more commonly known as Mister Softee. Day or night, sunny or overcast, people bolt out their doors when they hear the ice cream truck jingle, risking the high probability of becoming wedged in the doorway in a race to be the first outside to flag him down. Everyone in Fillmore has seen the truck, and most everyone has come to know Jay.

Originally from Northern New Jersey, Jay moved to Los Angeles where he lived for more than a decade. Jay’s passion is music. He’s a skilled guitarist and has been in the music business for 20 years. When his good friend Jeff Hiller from South Jersey started up Mister Softee for Southern California, he asked Jay to join him. Initially Fillmore was not on his route, only passing Fillmore via Highway 126 on his way to Ventura, but when cars began to follow him and he noticed both adults and children waving and pointing at him with big smiles, he soon realized that Fillmore should be included in his route. The rest is sweet history, as far as Fillmore goes.

The history of ice cream dates back to second century B.C. It made its appearance here in America in 1744, and its first advertisement for ice cream appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, long before California became a state in 1850. Our ice cream jones is something we’ll never tire of or outgrow. It’s the perfect combination of elements that make our mouth water – sugar, fat, frozen water, and air. It’s that simple, but there’s more. The human brain responds to eating ice cream in much the same way it responds to any favorite thing we like, such as a favorite song or winning a big prize. Jay can attest to the happy faces that come to him, which is the main reason he loves doing what he does, being Fillmore’s Mister Softee.

Jay is fond of Fillmore. He says it’s an amazing place that epitomizes small town USA where everyone is friendly, and when it comes to ice cream, “kids are kids and adults are kids.” So next time you see Jay’s truck, give him a wave because he’ll be just as happy to see you.