Twin brothers Brandon and Jonathan Butcher have come a long way since graduating from Ipswich High in 1995. Brandon, now chief meteorologist at the CBS 3 news station in Springfield, is a two-time Emmy Award winner. An assistant professor at Cornell University, Jonathan conducts research on the mechanical forces that control heart valve development and disease.
"Jon's going to be saving the world. I predict the weather for him," says Brandon Butcher. "He's been all over the world for conferences in Cyprus, Croatia, London, you name it. Heart valve disease is an international problem."
Brandon became interested in meteorology at an early age. He'd watch The Weather Channel for hours.
"I loved lightning but was scared of thunder. Long, drawn-out events like blizzards and hurricanes were my favorite," he says.
Throughout middle school, all of Butcher's science projects involved weather.
"This was what I knew," he says, "and decided to pursue a career with it after graduation. I had grown up worshipping weather people such as Harvey Leonard and Kevin Lemanowicz."
In the years to come Brandon would have the opportunity to compete with his idols.
This year, at a ceremony in Copley Square on Mother's Day weekend, Brandon received an Emmy for best weather talent in New England.
"I'm the only one there from western Massachusetts at this black-tie event sitting next to the janitor," says Brandon. "I thought, 'Hey this a great night to get away from the kids and spend some time with my wife.'"
His name was called and he gave his acceptance speech.
"It was a combination of joy and shock," Brandon says. "This is the highest award you can get in my field. I've only been doing on-air stuff since 1996."
In the past ten years, no meteorologist outside of Boston has won this honor.
Brandon gives weather forecasts five nights a week from Springfield.
"Its all improv, there's no tele prompters," he says.
Jonathan's studies have been published in numerous medical journals. He has appeared in "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London," a publication that also featured the writings of Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton.
"I've had over 20 publications in four journals," says Jonathan. "I've always wanted to teach and enjoy working with the mechanics of the human body."
Brandon also instructs, having designed online courses at Elms College in Chicopee and Fairmont State in West Virginia. He says he's visited 150 schools in the last year.
"It's really neat to go out and see all the kids get excited about what you're teaching," he says.
Debbie Keogh, Jonathan and Brandon's mother, says her sons have always been inquisitive and in search of knowledge.
"When they were in the 3rd grade our Atari video game system broke," explains Keogh. "The kids were sitting in the living room and I started to hear all these beep-beep sounds from the other room. They had taken apart the joysticks to find out why they weren't working."
Ipswich teachers called them "The Reds" because they couldn't tell them apart.
"Their teachers would call up asking for Red, and I'd be like 'Which one,'" says Keogh. "And they'd say 'Red!'"
Jonathan now lives in Ithaca, N.Y. with his wife, Christine, and two children, Maggie and Jack.
Brandon, his wife Mary, and daughters Cady and Anna reside in Springfield.
"They're awesome fathers and husbands," says Keogh.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/ipswich/news/education/x19915927/A-tale-of-two-brothers
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