She'll need your support and your level head; she will be overwhelmed with loss while trying to make things go right.

Gathering papers relating to insurance, will, assets, accounts and real estate -- whatever there is of it all -- is important for the sake of bringing some order to the next few weeks.

Determining who is the executor of the will (I assume there is one) is vital. Getting that executor the papers they need is vital to getting the whole estate process underway.

Sorting out where the money for the funeral comes from, finding address lists and the sort, are all things she can do while she works her way through it.

Anything you can do to help her with logistics and mechanics of the change will be valuable to her. Plus lots of comfort, hugs and if possible, get her out looking around a bit after the worst has worn off.

A