The Almanac — the weekly serving Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside and Portola Valley — reports that its advertising director from 1971 to 1989, Mardell R. Ward, has died.

She died March 23 in Palo Alto at age 84.

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Ms. Ward had a career in journalism and advertising that included working at Sunset Magazine, the Menlo Park Recorder, Wank, Williams & Neylan advertising agency, and the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce.

“She was a very classy lady,” said Mort Levine, publisher of The Almanac from 1980 to 1993. “She gave The Almanac a certain tone. She was very interested in building up the business district of Menlo Park.”