Ben Jones, the man who played Cooter in 141 episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard has passed away at the age of 84. Now, a loved one has released a cause of death.
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"I lost the love of my life today," Alma Viator, Jones' widow, wrote on Facebook. "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 so much."
Jones is survived by Viator, daughter Rachel, daughter Jeanne, son Walker, three stepchildren, and 10 grandchildren.
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!” pic.twitter.com/RDbei1F67Z
— Tom Wopat (@wopatofficial) August 9, 2026
A native of North Carolina, Jones acted in dozens of projects between 1968 and 2021. He rose to fame as Cooter Davenport, the fan-favorite mechanic on The Dukes of Hazzard.
Cooter was the character who turned an old, beaten up Dodge Charger into the General Lee, and he was the character who helped Bo and Luke Duke throughout their countless hair-raising situations.
Jones starred in The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 until 1985, but he returned to the role of Cooter multiple times in the following decades. This includes two TV movies and two video games.
The longtime actor also opened a museum, marketplace, and cafe in Virginia known as Cooter's Place. It then expanded by adding two locations in Tennessee.
"Ben 'Cooter' Jones loved people. For many years, the team at Cooter's watched as he took extra time with fans, getting to know them with ceaseless curiosity, often going on far too long with colorful stories of backstage on The Dukes of Hazzard," the museum said in a statement. "He had the kind and genuine manner of a grandfather and the jovial familiarity of a fishing buddy. He got to know his employees the same way, and he treated us more as ambassadors of the show than as workers.
"He impressed on us at Cooter's that the show was family entertainment, that families had gathered to watch on Friday nights in the 80's, and that he wanted those who visit our museums and later, our stores, to feel welcomed and at home. Many of us were those fans growing up, and Ben believed that those who walk through our doors became part of our family, Hazzard Nation, as he liked to call it.
"The world will change around us, but Ben wanted the spirit of community to be ever-present at Cooter's. We are all deeply saddened by Ben's passing because we lost a leader, a mentor, a family member, and a friend, but we are grateful to have had him our lives and our mission to keep Hazzard Nation alive isn't over."
Along with starring as the beloved mechanic, Jones moved into the world of politics. He ran in Georgia's Fourth Congressional District and won while representing the Democratic Party. He served two terms in Congress.
