Ben Jones, best known for playing the lovable mechanic Cooter Davenport on CBS’s “The Dukes of Hazzard,” has died at age 84. Multiple outlets report that his wife, Alma Viator, announced his death and said he died of a massive heart attack while at home, “resting in his favorite chair.”
Jones is also widely described as an actor who later entered politics. Sources note that after his entertainment career, he served two terms as a U.S. Representative for Georgia. Outlets generally agree on his age, the role that made him famous, and his congressional service, though they vary in the emphasis placed on either his screen legacy or his political career. Several stories also reference his personal history, including accounts that he overcame a drinking problem, before highlighting his work on the long-running series.
Across the reports, the common throughline is that Jones moved from television fame to elected office, and his death is attributed to a heart attack at home as confirmed by his wife.
