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Ben Jones dies at 84
Ben Jones, the actor who played the mechanic Cooter Davenport on CBS’s “The Dukes of Hazzard,” died at 84 on Sunday at his home in Washington, Virginia.
“Ben Jones died at 84 following what his family described as a "massive heart attack."”
His wife, Alma Viator, said on social media that he suffered a heart attack while he was waiting to watch his beloved Atlanta Braves play baseball.
Jones starred as Cooter Davenport for all seven seasons of the series from 1979 to 1985, and the show followed cousins Bo (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) as they outwitted the corrupt county commissioner J.D. “Boss” Hogg.
After the series, Jones served two terms as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Georgia, representing Georgia’s fourth congressional district from 1989 until 1993.
Viator wrote, “I lost the love of my life today,” and said he “was home resting in his favourite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees.”
Tributes and political legacy
Rappahannock County Sheriff Connie Compton confirmed Jones’ death, and NBC4 Washington said Jones’ fame came from his role as Cooter Davenport, the mechanic who helped the Duke boys fight Boss Hogg in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia.
Tom Wopat, Jones’ co-star, paid tribute on Instagram, writing, “I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today.”
Fox News also quoted Viator’s Facebook post, including her line, “Ben passed from a massive heart attack.”
The New York Times described Jones as a character actor who gained fame as Cooter Davenport and later served two terms as a Democratic congressman from Georgia, and it said the cause was a heart attack.
In a 2008 interview with Georgia Public Broadcasting, Jones said, “He had the only garage and the only tow truck in a place where all they did was wreck cars, so every time you saw him, he was working, and people can relate to that,” reflecting how he viewed the character’s appeal.
What comes next for fans
Jones’ death prompted renewed attention to his long-running connection to “The Dukes of Hazzard,” including his return as Cooter in two reunion projects, the 1997 television reunion films and “Hazzard in Hollywood” in 2000.
“Jones is survived by his wife, Alma, whom he married in 1992, and his two children, Rachel and Walker.”
The India Weekly account said Jones and his wife opened a “Dukes of Hazzard” museum and themed store, “Cooter's Place,” near the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, where he met fans.
NBC4 Washington said Jones’ “Cooter's Garage” was tied to the show’s story world, and it also quoted Jones’ earlier description of the series as “like being in a Beatles movie,” with “Our lives changed.”
Fox News noted Jones’ political service in the U.S. House from Georgia’s fourth district from 1989 until 1993, and it also said he was married to Alma Viator since 1992.
Jones is survived by his wife, Alma, and his two children, Rachel and Walker, according to India Weekly, which also reported that his family described his death as a “massive heart attack.”