Update — August 13, 2026: Follow-up reporting has named Jones’s surviving family: three children (Rachel, Jeanne and Walker), three stepchildren and ten grandchildren, in addition to his wife Alma Viator. The article previously reflected the wife’s name alone, with additional family details not included, which has since changed.
Ben Jones, who played mechanic Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard” and later served two terms in the U.S. House representing Georgia, died Sunday, August 9, 2026, at age 84.
His wife, Alma Viator, announced his death in a Facebook post. “I lost the love of my life today,” she wrote. “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 added that he had “the most amazing rich full life” and that he would be missed.
He died at his home in Virginia. The Associated Press reported that a Virginia sheriff confirmed the death. No funeral or memorial arrangements had been announced as of Monday.
Key facts
- Died: Sunday, August 9, 2026, at his home in Virginia, at age 84.
- Born: August 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina — he would have turned 85 later this month.
- Cause: His wife, Alma Viator, says he died of a massive heart attack; no medical examiner, coroner or hospital has issued a statement on it.
- Known for: Playing mechanic Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” 1979-1985.
- Political career: U.S. House, Georgia’s 4th District, January 1989 to January 1993.
- Survived by: His wife, Alma Viator; three children — Rachel, Jeanne and Walker — three stepchildren and ten grandchildren, according to follow-up reporting; the initial announcement had not included these details.
“Dukes of Hazzard” role and film work
Jones was born August 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina, and would have turned 85 later this month.
He played Cooter Davenport, the Hazzard County mechanic and an honorary member of the Duke family, on the CBS series “The Dukes of Hazzard” across all seven seasons, from 1979 to 1985, appearing in more than 140 episodes. He also had supporting film roles, including in “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Primary Colors” and “Meet Joe Black.”
Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke on the show, paid tribute to Jones. He called Jones “a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business” and said, “I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today.”
Political career
Jones ran for Georgia’s 4th Congressional District in 1986 and lost to the incumbent, Pat Swindall. Two years later, after Swindall was indicted, Jones won the 1988 election and was reelected in 1990. He served as a Democratic whip and held the seat from January 1989 to January 1993.
In 1994 Jones ran against then-Rep. Newt Gingrich in Gingrich’s district and lost. He filed an ethics complaint against Gingrich during that campaign, over tax-exempt donations tied to a college course; the House later reprimanded Gingrich. In 2002, Jones ran for a U.S. House seat in Virginia’s 7th District and lost to Eric Cantor.
Cooter’s Place and later years
With Viator, Jones ran Cooter’s Place, a chain of Dukes of Hazzard-themed museums and stores with locations in Luray, Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Before Jones died, the business had already announced that its Pigeon Forge operation is in its final season and will close, while the Nashville and Luray stores stay open.
In later years Jones held a leadership role with the Sons of Confederate Veterans, serving as its international chief of heritage operations from about 2014 to 2018, and was a vocal defender of displaying the Confederate battle flag — the flag that appeared on the show’s “General Lee” car. Amid a mid-2010s controversy over the flag, Warner Bros. Stopped selling merchandise bearing it; Jones said at the time that the flag represented Southern heritage rather than racism.
Jones published a memoir, “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land,” in 2007.
Timeline
- August 30, 1941: Born in Tarboro, North Carolina.
- 1979-1985: Plays Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard” for all seven seasons.
- 1986: Runs for Georgia’s 4th Congressional District, loses to incumbent Pat Swindall.
- 1988: Wins the seat after Swindall is indicted.
- 1990: Reelected to a second term.
- 1994: Loses a bid against Newt Gingrich; files an ethics complaint against him over tax-exempt donations tied to a college course.
- 2002: Loses a U.S. House race in Virginia’s 7th District to Eric Cantor.
- 2007: Publishes memoir “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land.”
- About 2014-2018: Serves as international chief of heritage operations for the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
- August 9, 2026: Dies at his home in Virginia, age 84.
Viator’s account is the source of the cause of death; no medical examiner, coroner or hospital has issued a statement on it.
He is survived by his wife, Alma Viator. Additional family details were not included in the initial announcement.