Ben Jones, the actor turned politician best known for playing Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” died on Sunday from a heart attack, according to his wife Alma Viator. He was 84.
Viator announced her husband’s death in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon. With a photo of Jones holding his dog, she wrote, “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. 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.”
In “The Dukes of Hazzard,” Jones played Cooter Davenport, the Hazzard County mechanic and an honorary member of the Duke clan. Appearing in 142 episodes, Jones starred alongside Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Sorrell Brooke and Waylon Jennings.
“Dukes” star Wopat paid tribute to Jones on social media. He wrote in an Instagram post, “’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.”
In 1988, Jones ran for Congress in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District and won by 20 points. He was reelected in 1990. Four years later, redistricting took his seat, and he lost his next race against Newt Gingrich.