Thomas Richard Eves was born in Liverpool, England on 22 February 1881. He was the eldest child of Thomas Richard Eves, a seaman, and Ruth Johnstone and he had four younger siblings.

Eves’ first sea voyage was as a bosun’s boy aboard the Ultonia in June 1899.  On 20 Feb 1908 he was married to Sarah Ann Jackson (b. 1882) of Bootle and they went on to have four children. By 1911 the family lived at 65 Priory Grove in Everton. 

In April 1912 Eves was serving as a pantry steward aboard the eastward-bound voyage of the Carpathia when that ship rescued the survivors of the Titanic. 

Following the Titanic disaster Eves continued to work at sea; he remained a resident of 65 Priory Grove for the rest of his life and died there in 1932. He was buried on 3 June 1932 in Anfield Cemetery (grave 823, section 8).