Sorry for your loss. The advise from others so far seems on target, so I won't repeat what they have said.

A few additional points --
1. If you're not in need of immediate cash for them, you will probably realize more value by selling them individually or in smaller lots, grouped by location & type, etc.
2. Chips are bought and sold on this BB, on eBay, and directly to other collectors and dealers. How you break up the collection into "bite size" pieces will depend on what you have... and the photos will help with more specific advise.
3. With many collectors at the annual convention next week, it's best to wait till the week of June 27, or even July 1, to ask for more specific help.
4. The silver collector chips you mentioned are most likely what we call "Silver Strikes" in the hobby. There's a separate BB where these collectors gather -- look at the top of the webpage, and you'll see a link that says TheStrikePoint.com
5. I'm in California, so I can't offer in-person help, but I'll be glad to comment further on the collection if you send photos by email (after June 27). I've been collecting chips for over 20 years and have helped a couple of other inheritors (if that's a word) with disposing of collections. Sometimes a phone conversation can work better than emails back & forth, which I'm willing to do, at the right time. (No charge or obligation for the advise. I'm just a collector, not a dealer.)

You will find that chip collecting is a pretty tight-knit community, and that we're there to help where possible in situations like this.