Segment Reporting Level 4 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020		Sep. 30, 2020		Jun. 30, 2020		Mar. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 30, 2019		Jun. 30, 2019		Mar. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent	$ 2,180								$ 2,051								$ 2,180	$ 2,051
Revenues	970,268		$ 918,241		$ 820,035		$ 802,965		850,760		$ 769,241		$ 812,572		$ 798,212		3,511,509	3,230,785	$ 3,190,174
Interest expense																	163,063	185,843	181,556
Depreciation and amortization																	155,299	151,000	153,650
Depreciation and amortization																	155,299	151,000	153,650
Amortization of intangibles																	22,444	25,649	26,195
Amortization of cemetery property																	80,403	70,330	68,640
Total assets	14,515,425								13,677,430								14,515,425	13,677,430
Capital expenditures																	222,211	239,957	235,545
Gross profits from reportable segments	315,360		263,656		218,767		179,044		217,868		159,732		191,146		191,834		976,827	760,580	760,322
Corporate general and administrative expenses																	(141,066)	(126,886)	(145,596)
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	7,009	32,919	15,933
Operating income	285,446		223,213		182,335		151,776		240,945		128,585		150,105		146,978		842,770	666,613	630,659
Losses on early extinguishment of debt, net																	(18,428)	(16,637)	(10,131)
Other income, net																	781	299	2,760
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	249,455	[1]	$ 164,843	[1]	$ 141,723	[1]	$ 106,039	[1]	195,172	[1]	$ 72,869	[1]	$ 96,083	[1]	$ 100,308	[1]	662,060	464,432	441,732
Long lived assets	6,973,064								6,833,166								6,973,064	6,833,166
UNITED STATES
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	3,328,381	3,052,101	2,991,617
Interest expense																	162,804	185,512	181,266
Depreciation and amortization																	146,378	142,550	144,877
Amortization of intangibles																	22,132	25,079	25,664
Amortization of cemetery property																	76,275	66,552	63,709
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	6,935	33,200	8,419
Operating income																	795,461	628,204	568,446
Long lived assets	6,633,470								6,531,705								6,633,470	6,531,705
CANADA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	183,128	178,684	198,557
Interest expense																	259	331	290
Depreciation and amortization																	8,921	8,450	8,773
Amortization of intangibles																	312	570	531
Amortization of cemetery property																	4,128	3,778	4,931
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net																	74	(281)	7,514
Operating income																	47,309	38,409	62,213
Long lived assets	339,594								301,461								339,594	301,461
Funeral [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	2,052,301	1,923,902	1,897,992
Interest expense																	3,896	4,026	3,634
Depreciation and amortization																	107,770	106,982	108,891
Amortization of intangibles																	13,593	15,343	17,515
Amortization of cemetery property																	0	0	0
Total assets	6,030,764								5,821,408								6,030,764	5,821,408
Capital expenditures																	86,902	112,090	99,008
Gross profits from reportable segments																	494,602	372,638	369,613
Cemetery [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,459,208	1,306,883	1,292,182
Interest expense																	514	659	469
Depreciation and amortization																	34,693	33,323	33,183
Amortization of intangibles																	8,841	10,297	8,619
Amortization of cemetery property																	80,403	70,330	68,640
Total assets	8,042,339								7,483,713								8,042,339	7,483,713
Capital expenditures																	132,443	125,365	125,131
Gross profits from reportable segments																	482,225	387,942	390,709
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense																	158,653	181,158	177,453
Depreciation and amortization																	12,836	10,695	11,576
Amortization of intangibles																	10	9	61
Amortization of cemetery property																	0	0	0
Total assets	$ 442,322								$ 372,309								442,322	372,309
Capital expenditures																	2,866	2,502	11,406
Funeral Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,092,016	996,643	998,464
Funeral Matured Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	662,675	605,237	600,944
Funeral Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,754,691	1,601,880	1,599,408
Non-funeral Home Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	61,198	52,211	49,671
Funeral Recognized Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	124,645	139,525	125,144
Funeral Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	111,767	130,286	123,769
Cemetery Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	386,850	326,230	323,162
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Property Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	659,950	581,724	572,955
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Merchandise And Service Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	298,864	287,589	288,282
Cemetery Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,345,664	1,195,543	1,184,399
Cemetery Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	$ 113,544	$ 111,340	$ 107,783

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