Try to do it together. Ask him to pick a few things that he’d really like to keep that belonged to her, and then get rid of the rest or maybe donate it if they’re things others could use. You could donate them to a woman’s shelter and assure him that they’ll be used to help others. If he’s not ok with that, maybe you could give them to family members. Last suggestion would be just to dump them if he’s not open to any other suggestions. I think you have to make it clear that this is your space now – for the two of you. You don’t need to hold on to her newspapers. Again, tell him to keep a few things (key point being few) that are sentimental to him. The rest go away. If he doesn’t want to be part of the giving away/dumping process, then once he picks out the items he wants, maybe you could offer to do it for him. That might just not be something he is capable of doing and he might need your help with that. Through all of this, you will, of course, have to be very supportive. I can’t imagine how he must feel. It’s going to be very hard for me to go through what he is going through. Just remember to be there for him.