It used to be that the dearly departed had two choices: burial or cremation. These days, "The scope of products is simply mind-boggling," says David Walkinshaw, a Massachusetts-based funeral director.

Because the U.S. death rate has remained fairly constant at about nine people per 1,000 since 1980, growth in the industry has stagnated, with the number of funerals increasing by only half of a percent per year, according to Johnson Rice analyst William Burns.

He says the industry's high fixed costs have been further compounded by "an outbreak of wellness," mainly due to the absence of a critical flu season since 1999.

To kick-start growth and fatten profits, funeral directors have livened up their products and services to focus on customization. New offerings include a huge range of custom caskets; Internet-based videos of funeral services are even available. For those seeking something more permanent, several companies offer services to transform the ashes of the deceased into jewelry, artwork and even artificial coral reefs.

The Biloxi, Miss.-based Eternally Yours proposes to recycle your ashes into a painting or collage. Cost varies from $350 to $950 depending on the size of the artwork and the quantity of ashes used. LifeGem Memorials, a Chicago-based company, has patented a process allowing it to turn your loved one--or your pet--into a carbon-based artificial diamond for anything from $2,300 to $13,000. And if Grandpa loved the ocean, Decatur, Ga.-based Eternal Reefs will blend his ashes into an artificial coral reef to create "a permanent environmental living legacy," as its Web site says.

For mourners, personalization can be a welcome departure from stuffy, cookie-cutter ceremonies. For the industry, it is a rare example of a major trend shift in a business that hasn't changed much recently.

"Personalization has typically been the industry's response to the unhappiness expressed by customers who put growing pressure on funeral homes to offer something a little more personal," says Joshua Slocum, the executive director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance.

While traditional burial is still preferred, approximately 28% of Americans chose cremation in 2002, and the figure has been climbing steadily, according to the Cremation Association of North America.

The disposal method of the corpse isn't the only thing that's customizable. The Batesville Casket Co., the largest in the United States and owned by Hillenbrand Industries (nyse: HB - news - people ), has hundreds of models available in 12 materials, various degrees of luster and many colors. Also available are upholstered casket interiors outfitted with reminders of the deceased's profession, faith and interests, as well as a "safe drawer" for personal effects.

Walkinshaw, who says "anything is possible," reports that some hard-core sports fans have been buried in caskets emblazoned with their favorite team's logo. Race car fans may have their final resting place fitted out to look like a Ferrari.

But all of that is nothing compared to what is sometimes done in the wake room, where creativity runs free. The Wade Funeral Home in St. Louis, which is owned by Tucson, Ariz.-based Perpetua, a national chain, encourages what they call "themed funerals."

One example: The company staged a funeral called "Big Mama's Kitchen," where the wake room was filled with fake apple pies and buckets of fried chicken. The setup is intended to personalize the service and remind mourners of who the person really was.

"We encourage funerals to be a celebration of the person's life," says Fay Spano, spokesperson for the National Funeral Directors Association.

Ron Hast, publisher of industry trade publications Mortuary Management and the Funeral Monitor, theorizes that baby boomers may be exhibiting a rebel streak. "They're dismissive of routine ceremonial aspects and of the cost of cemetery lots," says Hast, who adds that cremation costs between $1,000 and $1,500 while a traditional burial "package" hovers around $5,500, even without the cemetery lease.

According to Slocum, personalization is transforming the funeral industry the same way Hallmark revolutionized the greeting card business several years ago, introducing cards celebrating remarriages, stepmothers and people from Idaho.

While 75% of America's 22,000 funeral homes are independently owned, there are several large companies that are attempting to consolidate the industry. Alderwoods (nasdaq: AWGI - news - people ), which had sales of $833 million in 2002, owns 760 funeral homes and 185 cemeteries. Stewart Enterprises (nasdaq: STEI - news - people ), which had sales of $581 million in the fiscal year 2002, owns more than 300 funeral homes and 150 cemeteries.

In the end though, you can leave this world sure of one thing: While you debate the respective merits of coming back as a coral reef or as a pear-shaped diamond, the industry is finding new ways of boosting the margins on your last purchase.

http://forbes.com/home/2003/10/29/cx_al_1030funeral.html