Jim De Graci, a newspaper reporter and editor who worked for The Evening Sun in the early 1970s, died of cancer Wednesday at his home in North Lauderdale, Fla. He was 54.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Mr. De Graci moved to Baltimore after high school with his mother, a seamstress, in the 1960s.

They lived a few blocks from Memorial Stadium, and Mr. De Graci became a dedicated Orioles fan, said his wife of 18 years, the former Judith Rader. Years later, after moving to Florida, he continued to follow the team, attending Orioles spring training in Fort Lauderdale as recently as this year with his mother.

Mr. De Graci wrote for the now-defunct evening paper before and after serving in the Army in Vietnam, where he edited Green Beret Magazine. He left Baltimore in the mid-1970s to attend the University of Utah.

After graduation, he took a job with the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, where he worked for 25 years, most recently as day desk news editor.

A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. tomorrow at Coral Baptist Church in Coral Springs, Fla.

In addition to his wife, Mr. De Graci is survived by two sons, James and John De Graci of North Lauderdale; his mother, Muriel Singleton of Glen Burnie; three half brothers, Arthur Singleton of Brooklyn Park, Gary Singleton of Orlando, Fla., and Troy Gibson of Dundalk; and two half sisters, Louise Rodriguez of Glen Burnie and Carol Beatty of Pasadena.