Dr. Arthur O. Rahn, Jr., DDS

Dr. Arthur O. Rahn, Jr., DDS of Augusta, GA. passed peacefully into rest on Friday, August 7, 2026. Dr. Rahn, 92, was happily married 64 years to Marjorie A. Rahn, his beloved wife and mother to their three children.

Art was born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin. After spending two years at St. Olaf College, he was accepted to Marquette University School of Dentistry and graduated in 1958. He was drafted into the Army and sent to Ft. Gordon, Georgia where he oversaw the section of Prosthodontics. He left the Army in 1964 to enroll in a two-year Prosthodontic residency at M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas. After completing the program, he was recruited to the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry as an Assistant Professor. In 1968, he was recruited by Dr. Judson Hickey, Founding Dean of the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry (MCG SOD), to serve as the Inaugural Chair of the Department of Removable Prosthodontics. Dr. Rahn remained at the MCG SOD as a tenured Professor until his retirement in 1996, serving for 27 years. As Professor Emeritus, he served an additional 27 years as a part-time faculty member. He authored a leading textbook entitled, “Syllabus of Complete Dentures” as well as many Prosthodontic research articles and other publications. Dr. Rahn enjoyed a strong national reputation as an outstanding educator, clinician and mentor to many students and residents. He served as the President of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics and received the Andrew J. Ackerman Award for his significant contributions to the advancement of maxillofacial prosthetics. He was elected to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Prosthodontics and served as its President. In addition, he was a Fellow in the Academy of Prosthodontics and a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the dental honor society. He was elected to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Prosthodontics and served as its president from 1986-1987. Dr. Rahn prepared many students for the State Board examinations, holding them to standards that were firm, fair, and rooted in excellence. When a student finally “passed muster” with him, they knew they were ready. Throughout his tenure, every student he trained passed their boards. His fellow faculty often remarked, “The students feared him, but once they had him, they loved him,” a reflection of the respect earned through his demanding yet deeply supportive approach.

Dr. Rahn was a multifaceted man, like a diamond, with interests that reflected both precision and joy. He spent 35 years officiating high school football games, most often as head referee, earning deep respect from coaches for his fair and consistent application of the rules. His officiating crews were regularly selected for state playoff games. In the late 1990s he was honored as the Georgia State High School Football Referee of the Year, a recognition that reflected his integrity and leadership on the field. He also took pride in training new officials entering the profession.

Beyond the gridiron, Art had a lifelong love of working with his hands. Since childhood, he created wood carvings—some intricately detailed—of family members, golfers, birds, large mammals, and countless other subjects. The same meticulous craftsmanship that defined his carvings carried into his work in dentistry.

His varied interests brought him into contact with wonderfully different circles of friends, each of whom he cherished and shared laughter with. The full measure of his accomplishments and passions spans far more pages than can be listed here.

Surviving family members include his son Arthur C. Rahn, daughter Kristin L. Rahn, Mark A. Rahn and his wife Melissa and his grandson Colton Arthur Rahn. Dr. Rahn was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Marjorie “Marge” A. Rahn. He cared for her with steadfast love throughout her twenty year battle with Alzheimer’s, a devotion that defined him as much as any professional achievement. On his last day, Dr. Rahn stated emphatically, “Of all my accomplishments, my greatest is you three children.”

A memorial service will be held on the 22nd of August, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Advent Lutheran Church, 3232 Washington Rd, Augusta, GA 30907. Sign the guestbook at AugustaChronicle.com/obits

Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com