I think if you look at the situation, what you are really upset about is the fact that the woman's family did not want/appreciate her things and that they had a total stranger disposing of them.
When the LQS opened in the next county over some grown children of a woman brought in some hand made/hand quilted GORGEOUS quilts and a dahlia top and asked the owner did she want them because otherwise they were just going to throw them on the burn pile because "they use real blankets".
I know that when my time comes that my children will look at some of the things that have a meaning to me and wonder why I kept/have them and that things dear to me will be disposed of - thankfully, they won't toss the quilts (I'd come back and haunt them!) but they won't be able to absorb my stuff into theirs.
The same thing is going to happen with my mother's things (she's almost 92 and in a nursing home) - my brother has already thrown out tons of her stuff and my dad's stuff - did I have the opportunity to even look to see what he was tossing? NO - because he's the one my mother has chosen, lo these many years to be in charge of it....
guess I'm rambling but maybe there's a point in all the wandering around...