Equity Components of Accumulated Other Comrehensive income (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Oct. 28, 2015
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 16,501,000			$ 59,414,000
Activity				119,543,000	$ 80,239,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments		$ (28,182,000)	$ (16,060,000)	(42,941,000)	(13,732,000)
Reclassification of foreign currency translation adjustments to Net Income from discontinued operations			3,114,000		$ 3,114,000
Balance at end of period		$ 16,501,000		$ 16,501,000
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share				$ 27.75
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired		11,008,576			0
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Par Value Method				$ 305,500,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount		$ 400,000,000		400,000,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount		321,600,000		321,600,000
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries				0	$ 15,000,000
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	16,501,000			59,414,000	88,441,000
Activity				(42,913,000)	(10,618,000)
Increase in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts, net of taxes				(110,016,000)	11,672,000
Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’, net of taxes				110,016,000	(11,672,000)
Balance at end of period		16,501,000	77,823,000	16,501,000	$ 77,823,000
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired					0
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries					$ 0
Foreign Currency Gain (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	16,501,000			59,414,000	88,441,000
Activity				(42,913,000)
Foreign currency translation adjustments					(13,732,000)
Reclassification of foreign currency translation adjustments to Net Income from discontinued operations					3,114,000
Balance at end of period		16,501,000	77,823,000	16,501,000	77,823,000
Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 0			0	0
Increase in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts, net of taxes				(110,016,000)	11,672,000
Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’, net of taxes				110,016,000	(11,672,000)
Balance at end of period		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Subsequent Event [Member]
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share	$ 28.17
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	619,905
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Par Value Method	$ 17,500,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount						$ 304,100,000
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries	$ 2,100,000.0
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired						24.40%