It is sad when the family doesn't quilt or sew, but, I firmly believe that quilters would rather that other quilters get their stuff versus someone throwing it away.
When my MIL (a quilter and my quilting mentor) passed away, yes, I got many of her things with the family's blessings. But I also went on a quilt retreat with many of her friends and brought tons of fabric with me to pass around. You know what these remarkable ladies did? They picked their favorites, and then each made a "Colleen Square" and hung the square above their posts for the weekend as a tribute. It was lovely. They all kept their squares to then incorporate somehow into a new project.