Segment Reporting Level 4 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers																	$ 2,986,380	$ 2,994,011	$ 2,550,466
Interest expense																	172,897	177,571	142,360
Depreciation and amortization																	141,456	140,002	122,235
Depreciation and amortization																	141,456	140,002	122,235
Amortization of intangible assets																	31,459	36,640	21,859
Amortization of cemetery property																	62,407	60,439	48,344
Total assets	$ 11,718,888								$ 11,923,644								11,718,888	11,923,644
Capital expenditures																	150,986	144,499	112,939
Gross profits from reportable segments	187,441		$ 140,803		$ 166,258		$ 177,443		205,302		$ 148,284		$ 156,041		$ 166,058		671,945	675,685	549,047
General and administrative expenses																	(128,188)	(184,749)	(155,128)
Gains (losses) on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	6,522	116,613	(6,263)
Operating income	157,035		124,548		127,581		141,115		220,281		135,119		144,730		107,419		550,279	607,549	387,656
(Losses) gains on early extinguishment of debt, net																	(6,918)	(29,158)	468
Other (expense) income, net																	(113)	1,780	(558)
Income before income taxes	113,699	[1]	$ 74,045	[1]	$ 84,489	[1]	$ 98,118	[1]	177,591	[1]	$ 91,735	[1]	$ 69,316	[1]	$ 63,958	[1]	$ 370,351	$ 402,600	245,206
Long-lived assets																	6012588	6035720
UNITED STATES
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers																	$ 2,805,748	$ 2,792,009	2,334,667
Interest expense																	172,697	177,245	141,991
Depreciation and amortization																	132,393	129,510	111,210
Amortization of intangible assets																	30,856	35,895	20,846
Amortization of cemetery property																	58,429	55,679	42,972
Gains (losses) on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	1,778	116,046	(5,958)
Operating income																	$ 498,615	$ 557,608	331,143
Long-lived assets																	5759342	5735205
CANADA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers																	$ 180,632	$ 202,002	215,799
Interest expense																	200	326	369
Depreciation and amortization																	9,063	10,492	11,025
Amortization of intangible assets																	603	745	1,013
Amortization of cemetery property																	3,978	4,760	5,372
Gains (losses) on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	4,744	567	(305)
Operating income																	$ 51,664	$ 49,941	56,513
Long-lived assets																	253246	300514.93
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization																	$ 141,456
Amortization of intangible assets																	31,459
Amortization of cemetery property																	62,407
Total assets	11,718,888																11,718,888
Capital expenditures																	150,986
Gross profits from reportable segments																	671,945
Other (expense) income, net																	(113)	$ 1,780	(558)
Funeral [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers																	1,888,812	1,920,475	1,698,493
Interest expense																	4,228	4,714	4,736
Depreciation and amortization																	103,119	101,801	92,588
Amortization of intangible assets																	22,767	24,841	17,245
Amortization of cemetery property																	0	0	0
Total assets	5,197,037								5,305,294								5,197,037	5,305,294
Capital expenditures																	53,291	52,610	50,304
Gross profits from reportable segments																	387,533	409,701	349,791
Other (expense) income, net																	0	0	0
Cemetery [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers																	1,097,568	1,073,536	851,973
Interest expense																	448	510	348
Depreciation and amortization																	29,601	28,745	23,384
Amortization of intangible assets																	8,617	11,700	4,590
Amortization of cemetery property																	62,407	60,439	48,344
Total assets	6,165,047								6,152,113								6,165,047	6,152,113
Capital expenditures																	83,573	78,588	58,315
Gross profits from reportable segments																	284,412	265,984	199,256
Other (expense) income, net																	0	0	0
Corporate Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers																	0	0	0
Interest expense																	168,221	172,347	137,276
Depreciation and amortization																	8,736	9,456	6,263
Amortization of intangible assets																	75	99	24
Amortization of cemetery property																	0	0	0
Total assets	$ 356,804								466,237								356,804	466,237
Capital expenditures																	14,122	13,301	4,320
Gross profits from reportable segments																	0	0	0
Other (expense) income, net																	$ (113)	1,780	(558)
Consolidated Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers																		2,994,011	2,550,466
Interest expense																		177,571	142,360
Depreciation and amortization																		140,002	122,235
Amortization of intangible assets																		36,640	21,859
Amortization of cemetery property																		60,439	48,344
Total assets									$ 11,923,644									11,923,644
Capital expenditures																		144,499	112,939
Gross profits from reportable segments																		$ 675,685	$ 549,047

[1] Includes (Losses) gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net, as described in Note 19.