By William R. Cash
Globe Staff

     Cornelia Furbish Curtis, 71 of Brighton, a secretary at Roxbury Community College had a dream of becoming a Massachusetts delegate to the 1981 White House Conference on Aging in Washington next November.
 That dream came true last week when Gov. King named her as one of more than 25 voting delegates from across the state.
 Connie Curtis has always been a strong advocate for the elderly. Because of this she ran for and won a seat last year in the state's  first  Silver-Haired Legislature (SHL) from the 18th Suffolk District. Following that success she turned her eyes toward the White House Conference on Aging and sought to become a  delegate to pursue interests of the elderly at the national level.
 She believes the Silvered-Haired Legislature is a worthwhile endeavor for elderly people, and should be more fully developed to arouse the interest and involvement of more senior citizens.
 As an SHL member she is advocating legislation that would improve transportation for the elderly. She is also supporting bills that would protect them from criminals and rip-offs.
 She is opposed to early retirement, contending,  "There are too many elderly just sitting around  waiting to die. They should be encouraged , instead of discouraged, if they want to do something,"  she  said,  adding,  "Everybody makes them think they are too old to do anything."
 Curtis is handicapped as a result of knee injuries received in  an automobile accident two years ago. She is unable to walk much and must depend on crutches and a wheelchair.
 It is the wheelchair she uses getting around, including going to a secretarial job at Roxbury Community College.
 She believes cities and the state should do more for the handicapped  in making all buildings more accessible and improving curb cuts at street intersections
Many of the curb cuts and ramps,  she says, are too steep for conventional wheelchair users, and are often blocked by parked cars.
 As an example of the building restrictions often confronting the handicapped, Curtis cites an occasion during the Silver-Haired Legislative campaign when she spoke in Cambridge.
 "No one told me the building where I was to speak was inaccessible to wheelchairs. I was forced to climb two flights of stairs dragging my wheelchair (folded) behind me. at the top of the stairs,  somebody asked if they could help me," she said.
 Connie uses the MBTA's "The Ride" for transportation five days a week to Roxbury Community College  where she is secretary to three divisional chairpersons,  Dr. Theodore Moran of Liberal Arts; Wilfred Stoutt, Business and Secretarial Science and Cooperative Education and George Schiavone,  Math and  Science and Technology
Curtis is "a very special here," according to Moran, to which she responds, "I think I'll stay around a while. They seem to like having me around."
 "If it were not for Roxbury Community College, I would not have a job, but more important, I would not  have  the  chance that I have here to go ahead with my education and, hopefully, in time  to fulfill my dream of teaching creative writing to others."
 In addition to working part time as a secretary at the college, she is taking courses in creative  writing,  Spanish  and  drawing.  She plans to illustrate two books she is writing, one on poetry, the other a history of New England.
 She has written about  700 poems, many which have appeared in past and present  periodicals and newspapers, including The Globe.
 

Her poetic career started at the age of seven and was encouraged by grandfather Frederick Baker Furbish of Maine, a designer and builder who assisted in the construction of such land-marks as Harvard Stadium, Agassiz Museum at Harvard and the Masonic Temple in Porter Square, Cambridge.

 "He was a great influence in my life. He started me writing," she said.

Curtis' first poem was written and published while she was a senior at Medford High School. She uses  Furbish  as part of her pen name in tribute to her grandfather.
 She attended Boston University for a time, studying creative writing and journalism.
 "I would have continued my education, but I needed a job at the time and so had to study on my own." she said.
 She retired about two years ago,  after  36 years with the state Division of  Employment  Security in the West End.
 "I didn't want to retire. I wanted to keep on working," she said.
 The Commission on Affairs of the Elderly helped obtain her present job with Roxbury Community College.
 In addition to her college job and courses Curtis keeps house and prepares her own meals.
 She has a son David Furbish in New jersey and three grandchildren.
 "I'm sorry I don't have time to join clubs and other groups, but I have a busy schedule, just attending classes, writing, the Silver-Haired Legislature and now the upcoming White House Conference on Aging.