Service Corporation International is an American provider of

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

goods and services as well as

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

property and services. It is headquartered in Neartown, Houston, Texas, and operates secondary corporate offices in

Jefferson, Louisiana Jefferson is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the north side (referred to as the "East Bank") of the Mississippi River. Jefferson is part of the New Orleans– Metairie–Kenner metropolit ...

(near New Orleans). SCI operates more than 1500 funeral homes and 400 cemeteries.

Company history

Robert L. Waltrip founded the company in 1962. SCI began as a small network of funeral homes and cemeteries in the

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

area. SCI, Alderwoods Group, and Stewart Enterprises emerged from the 1990s as the three largest companies in the industry. On , SCI owned and operated 3,823 funeral service locations, 525

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...

, 198 crematoria and two insurance operations located in 20 countries on five continents. In 1999, SCI also introduced its Dignity Memorial branding. Between 2002 and 2006, SCI reduced its net debt (total debt minus cash) by more than , increased operating cash flow, and simplified its field management organization to enhance efficiency, performance, and accountability. It also changed business and sales processes, tightened internal controls following the protocols, strengthened corporate governance standards, and established a new training and development system. For its shareholders, SCI returned value through more than in

share repurchase Share repurchase, also known as share buyback or stock buyback, is the reacquisition by a company of its own shares. It represents an alternate and more flexible way (relative to dividends) of returning money to shareholders. Repurchases allow s ...

s and it resumed payment of a regular quarterly dividend in early 2005, the first since 1999.

Acquisitions

In 2006, SCI merged with Alderwoods Group, its nearest competitor in terms of size. The

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...

(FTC) blocked the merger, citing concerns over consumer choice. After SCI agreed to divest funeral home and cemetery locations in several markets and end licensing agreements with other funeral homes, the FTC allowed the merger to continue. By 2007, the integration of Alderwoods's locations and operations was complete. In 2009, SCI put in a bid to purchase Keystone North America for ( million as of ). The purchase was completed in 2010 and added about 200 locations. In May 2013, SCI signed a deal to purchase Stewart Enterprises, the second-largest death care company. In December 2013, the FTC imposed conditions on the acquisition, requiring the two companies to sell 53 funeral homes and 38 cemeteries in 59 local markets, and requiring the merged company to be subject to a ten-year period during which the FTC will review any attempt by the company to acquire funeral or cemetery assets in those local markets.

Brands

SCI operates the following brands in the United States and Canada: * Advantage * * * Dignity Memorial * Dignity Memorial Premier Collection * * LHT Consulting Group, LLC * Neptune Memorial Reef *

Neptune Society The Neptune Society, Inc. is an American funeral home-based provider of cremation services that was founded in Plantation, Florida. History The Neptune Society was established in 1973 and was incorporated in 1985. In 1999, the Neptune Societ ...

/Trident Society/Neptune Society of Northern California * National Cremation *

Rose Hills Memorial Park Rose Hills Memorial Park is a cemetery and mortuary located in Whittier, California. It is an affiliate of Service Corporation International (formerly Loewen Group) and is the largest cemetery in North America. Sites ; Mausoleums * Whittie ...

Notable properties

* Caballero Rivero Woodlawn Park North Cemetery and Mausoleum in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

* Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel The Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel is a funeral home located on Madison Avenue at 81st Street in Manhattan. Founded in 1898 as Frank E. Campbell Burial and Cremation Company, the company is now owned by Service Corporation International. Fran ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

* Glenwood Memorial Gardens,

Broomall, Pennsylvania Broomall is a census-designated place (CDP) in Marple Township, Pennsylvania, Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,789 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. ...

* Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

* Joseph Gawler's Sons in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

* Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home and Cemeteries in New Orleans * Oehler and Lauterburg & Oehler Funeral Homes in suburban

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood area of Los Angeles. It includes a crematory for cremation services. Its location is at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an ent ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Riverside Memorial Chapel The Riverside Memorial Chapel is an American Jewish funeral home chain with their main facility at 180 West 76th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City.San Francisco Columbarium & Funeral Home, in San Francisco, California *

Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery is a multi-faith cemetery located at 7405 West Northwest Highway in North Dallas, Texas, United States. It is owned by Service Corporation International. Among the notable persons interred here are: * Mar ...

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery located at 10621 Victory Boulevard, straddling the border between the Los Angeles neighborhood of North Hollywood and Burbank, California. The cemetery's East entrance features the Portal of the Fo ...

North Hollywood, Los Angeles North Hollywood is a neighborhood and district in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, El Portal Theater, several art galleries, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ...

, California * Westwood Village Memorial Park in

Westwood, Los Angeles, California Westwood is a commercial and residential neighborhood in the northern central portion of the Westside (Los Angeles County), Westside region of the city of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCL ...

* Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in

Colma, California Colma (Ohlone for "Springs") is a small incorporated List of municipalities in California, town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2020 U ...

Controversies

Costs

Writing in an , issue of ''

Bloomberg Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...

'', journalist Paul M. Barrett found, despite its lower overhead, SCI has higher prices than independent funeral home operators. Barrett quoted "data compiled" by a concierge' funeral planning service" Everest Funeral Package, which found that for "traditional funerals, SCI charges on average (excluding casket and cemetery plot), 42 percent more than independents." In reply, SCI points to "overwhelmingly positive responses" on customer surveys and states they provide "top value" at a variety of funeral price points.

Texas

In the late 1990s, SCI was involved in a controversy involving alleged violations of Texas State

embalming Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them with embalming chemicals in modern times to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for viewing as part of the funeral ceremony or ...

laws. The proceedings took a political slant due to Robert Waltrip's friendship with the family of then-governor

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

and Waltrip's campaign contributions to various members of the Bush family. Referred to as "Funeralgate" or "Formaldegate" in the media, the controversy was widely publicized when Eliza May, a director with the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC), was fired while investigating SCI. May alleged in a civil suit that she was fired because she refused to halt her investigation despite pressure to do so from Governor Bush. May's lawyers subpoenaed President Bush to testify at the trial, but Texas judge John K. Dietz threw out the subpoena on the grounds that the then-governor was not in a position to have enough specialized information to require his involvement. The lawsuit was settled in 2001 for more than (equivalent to in ). SCI and the state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

were required to jointly pay the decision. On , the TFSC fined SCI an additional for administrative penalties.

Florida

On January 18, 2023, it was reported on local news that the Escambia County Sheriffs Office was called to investigate a crime of corpse abuse by an employee who was caught in the act, by another employee. The alleged criminal was never charged with the crime because he committed suicide the same day. The investigation into the crime and the Oaklawn Funeral Home is still pending. In 2001, it was reported that employees of the Memorial Gardens cemetery near

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...

, had oversold the cemetery, so bodies were buried in the wrong places, separating husbands from wives; vaults were cracked open by a backhoe, bodies were exhumed, with bones, skulls and shrouds thrown into nearby woods, bodies were stacked on top of each other, and remains were relocated without notifying relatives. The allegations were particularly appalling to the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

cemetery's more religiously observant customers, ''

The Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe countie ...

'' reported. Traditional Jewish law requires bodies to be buried intact and prohibits disturbing the dead. SCI reached a agreement with the Florida attorney general's office in 2003 that required it to repair plots and reorganize the cemeteries to ensure all graves were properly marked and the grounds could accommodate all plots sold. SCI also settled a separate class-action lawsuit on behalf of 350 families for .

Virginia

On , ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' reported that an SCI cemetery in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

, had improperly buried the remains of the stillborn daughter of Nsombi Hale in a grave too shallow (in a grave about deep). Nsombi Hale was filing suit against SCI. After an internal investigation by SCI, attorneys working for SCI denied the charges against the company in a letter to Virginia funeral regulators, and a few days later, the ''Post'' reported that Robert Ranghelli, one of the SCI employees who had corroborated the initial reports of improper handling of corpses, was fired for "speaking with the media" after having been on administrative leave for several months following the initial reports in the newspaper. On , ''The Washington Post'' reported that the National Funeral Home, a facility owned by SCI in the

Falls Church Falls Church City is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is part of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of 2020, it has ...

area of

Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most p ...

, which also acts as a centralized embalming and dressing station for embalming and body preparation for other nearby SCI-owned operations (Arlington Funeral Home, Danzansky-Goldberg Memorial Chapel, and Demaine Funeral Home), was storing naked bodies in various stages of decomposition in conditions described as "disgusting, degrading and humiliating". The story went on to report that as many as 200 bodies were stored on "makeshift gurneys in the garage" and "at least half a dozen veterans destined for the hallowed ground at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

were left in their coffins on a garage rack". The ''Post'' reported that documentation describing these conditions had been reported to the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers. A few days later, the ''Post'' reported that family members of a deceased Army veteran whose remains were stored in an unrefrigerated garage at National Funeral Home asked the

Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census, it is the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington ...

Commonwealth's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

to investigate the actions of National and its parent company, SCI, as crimes. The ''Post'' further reported that the family of retired

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Colonel Andrew DeGraff filed a lawsuit in Fairfax County alleging that SCI mishandled DeGraff's remains. According to the article, an SCI spokesman said that the company is conducting an internal investigation.

California

On , a

class-action A class action A class action is a form of lawsuit. Class Action may also refer to: * ''Class Action'' (film), 1991, starring Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio * Class Action (band), a garage house band * "Class Action" (''Teenage R ...

lawsuit was filed against SCI and Eden Memorial Park, a Jewish cemetery managed by SCI in Mission Hills charging that they were destroying graves to make room for new interments. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' reported that state officials found no evidence of mass grave disturbances. Russ Heimerich, a spokesman for the

California Department of Consumer Affairs The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is a department within the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. DCA's stated mission is to serve the interests of California's consumers by ensuring a standard of profess ...

, said, "We have not seen any evidence of the kind of massive desecration that is being alleged. The kind of activity they're alleging is not easily hidden, especially on a willful, large-scale basis." The plaintiff's attorney rejected the findings of the state's investigation.

Michael Avenatti Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American former attorney currently incarcerated in federal prison for felony fraud and extortion. He is best known for his legal representation of Pornographic film actor, adult film actress S ...

, the plaintiff's attorney, said more than 800 families have joined the class action suit. Avenatti claims the state's investigation was shoddy, saying, "Investigators from the state were told by various groundskeepers over a year ago that they had been repeatedly told to throw bones away, and yet for some reason, the state didn't adequately follow up." SCI denied all charges. After the lawsuit was filed, the Consumer Affairs Department reviewed five to six years of the cemetery's annual inspection records and found no indication that graves had been disturbed. According to the ''Los Angeles Times'' article, "The agency also asked the dozens of families that contacted officials to look for signs of disturbancesshifted or cracked gravestones or anything else that appeared different from previous visitsand didn't receive a single call back, he said." In January 2012, the lawsuit against Eden Memorial Park was ruled to be a valid class action in Los Angeles

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

, with the trial scheduled to begin in May 2012. In February 2014, the parties reached a settlement in the amount of . In 2015, families filed a second suit alleging that the practice continued after the first settlement. The suit remains pending . In 2024, the attorney general of California announced a settlement with SCI, which does business in the state under their Neptune Society and Trident Society brands, for state enforcement actions that alleged that SCI had violated the California Unfair Competition Law and

False Advertising Law False or falsehood may refer to: *False (logic), the negation of truth in classical logic *Lie or falsehood, a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement *False statement, aka a falsehood, falsity, misstatement or untruth, is a state ...

by engaging in false and deceptive advertising in the marketing and sale of pre-need cremation packages. The proposed settlement which is pending court approval, would provide full restitution to customers, comprehensive injunctive relief, and $23 million in civil penalties.

Massachusetts

In 2010, the State Board of Registration charged the SCI-owned Stanetsky Chapel, a Jewish funeral home in

Brookline Brookline may refer to: Places in the United States * Brookline, Massachusetts, a town near Boston * Brookline, Missouri, a village * Brookline, New Hampshire, a town * Brookline (Pittsburgh), a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Brookl ...

with serious violations of state law and regulations in connection with an incident where a woman was buried in the wrong grave, then disinterred without a legal permit and reburied in the correct grave with the woman's family not being notified of the mistake and the corrective procedure. As a result, in December 2011, the State Board announced a Consent Agreement and levied the biggest fine in its history, , against Stanetsky and SCI, and suspended the license of the Stanetsky general manager for a year. Other staff members involved in the incident were subject to punitive actions ranging from additional professional training to license revocation. The incident received widespread local media coverage. The Board's action was also published on its website. In a case first reported on , ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' reported J.S. Waterman's & Sons, also owned by SCI, was found by the Board to have accidentally cremated the body of a stillborn infant in 2003. The infant's body was apparently placed on a gurney that held an adult woman's body that was scheduled for cremation. As a result of a civil suit brought by the infant's family, Waterman's was ordered to pay the parents (equivalent to in ), with a pending legal claim that the mortuary violated the state's

consumer protection Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent business ...

law that could triple the damages, ''The Boston Globe'' reported. The family's lawyer, Gordon T. Walker, said SCI could be hit with additional costs, as there is a pending claim that the company violated the state's consumer protection law. The civil verdict was made in Suffolk Superior Court on . The jury awarded because of emotional distress and because it found the funeral home was negligent and intentionally inflicted emotional harm.

References

External links

* {{Authority control American companies established in 1962 Business services companies established in 1962 Companies based in Houston Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Funeral-related companies Companies in the S&P 400