Former Rep. Ben Jones, the plain-speaking “Dukes of Hazzard” star-turned-Georgia Democratic congressman, has died at the age of 84.
His wife, Alma Viator, shared the news of his death in a public Facebook post late Sunday.
“I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack,” Viator wrote. “He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees.”
From 1979 to 1985, Jones was a familiar face on television as Cooter, the friendly “Dukes of Hazzard” mechanic savant who kept the Duke brothers’ Dodge Charger, the “General Lee,” running throughout the show’s run.
After the series ended, Jones switched gears and launched a bid for Congress in 1986, finally winning the seat on his second attempt in a 1988 matchup against scandal-plagued GOP incumbent Pat Swindall.
