Segment Reporting Level 4 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 30, 2019		Jun. 30, 2019		Mar. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent	$ 2,051								$ 1,727								$ 2,051	$ 1,727
Revenues	850,760		$ 769,241		$ 812,572		$ 798,212		820,814		$ 778,786		$ 796,092		$ 794,482		3,230,785	3,190,174	$ 3,095,031
Interest expense																	185,843	181,556	169,125
Depreciation and amortization																	151,000	153,650	153,141
Depreciation and amortization																	151,000	153,650	153,141
Amortization of intangibles																	25,649	26,195	27,650
Amortization of cemetery property																	70,330	68,640	68,102
Total assets	13,677,430								12,693,243								13,677,430	12,693,243
Capital expenditures																	239,957	235,545	214,501
Gross profits from reportable segments	217,868		159,732		191,146		191,834		210,263		166,170		188,127		195,762		760,580	760,322	722,779
Corporate general and administrative expenses																	(126,886)	(145,596)	(158,651)
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	32,919	15,933	7,015
Operating income	240,945		128,585		150,105		146,978		172,710		132,303		161,954		163,692		666,613	630,659	571,143
Losses on early extinguishment of debt, net																	(16,637)	(10,131)	(274)
Other income (expense), net																	299	2,760	(1,486)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	195,172	[1]	$ 72,869	[1]	$ 96,083	[1]	$ 100,308	[1]	126,012	[1]	$ 86,036	[1]	$ 119,315	[1]	$ 110,369	[1]	464,432	441,732	400,258
Long lived assets	6,833,166								6,612,821								6,833,166	6,612,821
UNITED STATES
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	3,052,101	2,991,617	2,889,463
Interest expense																	185,512	181,266	168,956
Depreciation and amortization																	142,550	144,877	143,932
Amortization of intangibles																	25,079	25,664	27,092
Amortization of cemetery property																	66,552	63,709	61,307
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	33,200	8,419	61
Operating income																	628,204	568,446	502,865
Long lived assets	6,531,705								6,334,924								6,531,705	6,334,924
CANADA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	178,684	198,557	205,568
Interest expense																	331	290	169
Depreciation and amortization																	8,450	8,773	9,209
Amortization of intangibles																	570	531	558
Amortization of cemetery property																	3,778	4,931	6,795
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	(281)	7,514	6,954
Operating income																	38,409	62,213	68,278
Long lived assets	301,461								277,897								301,461	277,897
Funeral [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,923,902	1,897,992	1,868,152
Interest expense																	4,026	3,634	3,986
Depreciation and amortization																	106,982	108,891	109,965
Amortization of intangibles																	15,343	17,515	17,871
Amortization of cemetery property																	0	0	0
Total assets	5,821,408								5,411,178								5,821,408	5,411,178
Capital expenditures																	112,090	99,008	83,241
Gross profits from reportable segments																	372,638	369,613	371,853
Cemetery [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,306,883	1,292,182	1,226,879
Interest expense																	659	469	401
Depreciation and amortization																	33,323	33,183	32,815
Amortization of intangibles																	10,297	8,619	9,696
Amortization of cemetery property																	70,330	68,640	68,102
Total assets	7,483,713								6,913,132								7,483,713	6,913,132
Capital expenditures																	125,365	125,131	118,699
Gross profits from reportable segments																	387,942	390,709	350,926
Corporate Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense																	181,158	177,453	164,738
Depreciation and amortization																	10,695	11,576	10,361
Amortization of intangibles																	9	61	83
Amortization of cemetery property																	0	0	0
Total assets	372,309								368,933								372,309	368,933
Capital expenditures																	2,502	11,406	12,561
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense																		181,556	169,125
Depreciation and amortization																	151,000	153,650	153,141
Amortization of intangibles																	25,649	26,195	27,650
Amortization of cemetery property																	70,330	68,640	68,102
Total assets	$ 13,677,430								$ 12,693,243								13,677,430	12,693,243
Capital expenditures																	239,957	235,545	214,501
Funeral Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	996,643	998,464	1,011,214
Funeral Matured Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	605,237	600,944	574,235
Funeral Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,601,880	1,599,408	1,585,449
Non-funeral Home Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	52,211	49,671	46,513
Funeral Recognized Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	139,525	125,144	117,352
Funeral Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	130,286	123,769	118,838
Cemetery Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	326,230	323,162	319,899
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Property Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	581,724	572,955	538,314
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Merchandise And Service Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	287,589	288,282	274,885
Cemetery Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,195,543	1,184,399	1,133,098
Cemetery Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	$ 111,340	$ 107,783	$ 93,781

[1] Includes Gains (losses) on divestitures and impairment charges, net, as described in Note 16.