Ben Jones, the former Dukes of Hazzard star who later served in Congress, has died at the age of 84.
Alma Viator, wife of Jones, announced his death in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon, saying he passed from a heart attack.
“I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack. He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees,” she wrote. “Ben had the most amazing, rich, full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so much.”
FILE: Actor Ben Jones as Cooter w. dog, Flash for TV show Dukes of Hazzard. (Photo by Marianne Barcellona/Getty Images)
Ben starred on The Dukes of Hazzard as the county mechanic Cooter Davenport, appearing in 142 episodes across six seasons between 1979 and 1985. At least one former cast member, Tom Wopat, paid tribute to him on social media following news of his death.
“The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today. Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed… Denver Pyle frequently said to Ben, ‘I’m not your Uncle Jesse!’ But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today,” Wopat wrote on Instagram.
Like former television star Sonny Bono, Jones traded out show business for politics in 1988 when he ran for Congress in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District, winning by 20 points, per Variety.
He held the seat until the 1994 midterms when redistricting paved the way for Newt Gingrich.