I'm very sorry for your loss. This is one part of the hobby I do not like, when a talented modeler passes away and the work is left behind. Sadly sometimes family members simply see the kits as trash to be disposed. A while back a member posted about building a B-17 model for a neighbor who had flown in them in WWII. The neighbor passed away and his son threw the B-17 in the trash only to be rescued by the builder.
You want those models to go to good homes where they are wanted. Just don't give them away on a whim as many people take things simply cause they are free and eventually end up in the trash.
Aside from donating to VA groups, museums, and other organizations you can always post them on Ebay. Some may bring in decent cash. I do this all the time when the display case starts to get full and the models have been around for many years. Some buyers will fork over decent cash for well built models, sometimes in the hundreds of dollars. As an example, a couple of years ago I posted on Ebay a Hasegawa 1/48 F-4B I built when it first came out in the early 1980's and sold it for around $155. I know it went to someone who who will keep it safe, at least for a few more years.
As someone suggested, another alternative is renting a table at a local model show costing usually under $20. There more than likely, you will be able sell most if not all of the models.