I would first take your UFO's and put them together in a safe place. A nice place. Just let them rest there. If that means the tote needs to go to another room for awhile, then do that.
And then, I'd go pet your fabric stash. I assume you both had a shared stash....I'd visit it. And just sort. Whatever your favorite method is...get all the blues together. Get all the 30's repros together. Just *enjoy* the stash. You don't have to DO anything to it. Think of it as a walk down memory lane.
Of course "other stuff" that doesn't belong in the sewing area needs to go. Could it be a way to "hide" the fact that your hubby has passed on? Like, not looking at the empty space means that it's not really real? I dunno...that's something for you to think about. And, you may not have the answer today, tomorrow, or next week. Take all the time you need.