Eugene D. Tarris was born on his uncle's farm near Simpson, PA on July 24, 1934. He was the son of pious Orthodox parents, who carefully brought him up in the traditions of the Orthodox faith. His paternal grandparents, Panteleimon and Melania Tarris, were among the founders of St. Basil's Orthodox Church in Simpson. They emigrated as teenagers from the province of Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire but were married in Olyphant, PA.

His mother, Julia Iwanik, graduated from the East Stroudsburg Teacher's Normal School. She taught the elementary grades. His maternal grandparents were among the founders of the Saint John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Mayfield, PA. They also emigrated from Galicia, Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late 1890's. Grandfather, Andrew Iwanik, also was a founder of the Fr. John Naumovich Society. Fr. John Naumovich was a Uniate priest who converted to Orthodoxy in the late 1840's, and was influential in convincing many Greek Catholics to become Orthodox. This influence came to America, where hundreds of thousands of Greek Catholics became Orthodox, among whom are St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre.

The young Eugene graduated High School as Valedictorian in 1948. Because the high school was on half-day sessions, he was able to take all the courses offered in the academic and science tracks, in addition to some business courses, like typing and shorthand. He graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While at Penn State he revived the Orthodox Student Movement, now called the OCF. He also belonged to the Penn State Hellenic Society.

After working for eight years in the Aerospace field as an engineer, he entered St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. He started with an interest in learning the Church Slavonic language and to study Church Music. After hearing some lectures of Fr. John Meyendorff and Fr. Alexander Schmemann, he decided to pursue a full time program. He finished his Master of Divinity, cum laude, in 1967. While at Seminary, he took courses in Hebrew, theological German and Old Testament Prophets at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

While a seminarian on the choir trip in 1964, he renewed his acquaintance with Sonia Katherine Reshetar of Minneapolis. Sonia was a graduate of the University of Minnesota in the field of elementary education. She held teaching certificates in the states of Minnesota and New York. They were married at the St. Vladimir's Seminary Chapel (the old chapel now torn down) on September 5, 1965. While in the New Jersey area, Sonia took advantage of the choir director institutes and became an accomplished choir director.

On November 13, 1965, the Metropolitan Ireney ordained Eugene to the deaconate at the Holy Hierarchs Chapel at St. Vladimir's. On July 4, 1966, Metropolitan Ireney ordained the Deacon Eugene to the holy priesthood in the St. Sergius of Radonezh Chapel in Syosset, Long Island, NY. While completing his last year at Seminary, he served the mission parish in Commack, NY, where Fr. John Meyendorff baptized his first-born son, Theodore. This mission is now the St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Dix Hills, NY.

Following his graduation, he was called to serve as the second priest at the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Los Angeles. While serving there, he worked on a Masters degree program in Biblical Languages at Pepperdine University. He was not able to finish the few courses needed to earn the degree, because Archbishop John of San Francisco needed him to serve at the St. Seraphim Orthodox Church in Dallas, TX. His second child, Faith was born in the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood in 1969 and was baptized in the Holy Virgin Church by Fr. Dimitri Gisetti.

He also served at the Holy Apostles Church in Garfield, NJ in its formative stages. While here his third child, Christopher was born. Christopher was baptized by the then Bishop Dmitri at the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Manville, NJ. At St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Auburn, NY his fourth child, Michael was born and baptized.

After four or five years of over 100% inflation, and being unable to find replacement work in the Syracuse area, Fr. Eugene moved with his family in 1983 to San Diego to find work once again in the Aerospace field as a Senior Quality Engineer. Bishop Basil assigned him at that time to the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church to assist the elderly Fr. Michael Zelnoronok. He served in the capacity until Fr. Michael retired. Bishop Tikhon then decided to ordain the Protodeacon Paul Kasaty to the priesthood to take Fr. Michael's place. Fr. Eugene helped Fr. Paul for one year in establishing his priesthood in the St. Nicholas Church in San Diego. Matushka Sonia for a short time directed the choir at St. Nicholas Church. Then with Fr. Peter Haskell's help she became the contract music director at the Holy Trinity Chapel at the marine Camp Pendleton Base. She served as choir director there until two weeks before her death from cancer in 1994. Fr. Eugene also served as a contract chaplain for the marines at Camp Pendleton, especially during Desert Storm when the assigned Orthodox chaplain left for Saudi Arabia. Then Fr. Eugene served at a newly formed mission for the Greek Church in Temecula, while waiting for a more permanent assignment from Bishop Tikhon. After six years he was able to grow the mission to about 70 mostly Greek families. Today it is a flourishing parish in the Greek Diocese of San Francisco. While working in the aerospace industry, Fr. Eugene learned computer and management skills. He is still a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), was a member of the American Society for Quality Control, and is still a member of the Institute for Professional Certified Managers. He is a life member of both the America Association of Individual Investors and the Penn State Alumni Association.

In June 1995, the aerospace industry was downsizing and Hughes Aerospace laid off Fr. Eugene. After a year of searching for another position, Fr. Eugene petitioned once again for a parish assignment. In 1996, Bishop Tikhon assigned Fr. Eugene to St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in Littleton, CO. He served there until his retirement in 2000. Then he was assigned to Holy Transfiguration first as an Associate Pastor, then as Assistant to the Dean of the Cathedral. It was here, Bishop Tikhon presented the award of the Holy Synod of the jeweled cross in July 2001 to him. It may be said that he improved each parish that he served.

In addition to adapting traditional Orthodox Church music in English, Fr. Eugene is using his spare time translating the Bulgakov Handbook for Church Servers. He also serves a Slavonic Liturgy every second Saturday of the month for the growing Russian immigrant community in Denver. For this community, Fr. Eugene often needs to readapt the church music back into Slavonic. The diocesan periodical for Eastern Pennsylvania, Alive in Christ, published part of his thesis, the translation of St. John Chrysostom's commentary on Psalm 9.