Kenai Whyte loved his toy cars so much he slept with them. When a firetruck drove by, he would break into a wide grin. His grandmother had promised to get him his own little car after he refused one day to get out of his grandfather’s.

On Saturday, the body of the 3-year-old lay in the United House of Prayer for All People in Dorchester, tucked into a bright red casket painted to resemble “Lightning McQueen,’’ a cartoon race car he adored.

“This little boy’s got four tires, and he’s driving around heaven with the angels,’’ said Pastor James Harrison before the funeral crowd of more than 200 who had come to mourn the little boy. “He’s driving on a street paved with pure gold.’’

Kenai Whyte died Feb. 2, two days after his bruised and bloody body was discovered unresponsive at his father’s Alpine Street home in Roxbury. Though officials have said he suffered “trauma,’’ no official cause of death has been established, and no one has been arrested.

Just days before his body was found, a Department of Children and Families social worker reported that Kenai was well-fed and clean. The investigation into his death is ongoing, a police spokeswoman said Saturday.

During his funeral Saturday, loved ones read poems and tributes they had written to Kenai.

His grandmother, Debra Morris-Covington, wept and leaned on her husband as she spoke about what they would remember about their grandson.

“We would remember those tight little hugs. We would remember you from the top of the stairs calling out our name just to see if we were here,’’ she said, and then her voice broke as she called out the way her grandson used to: “Nama! Nama!’’

She recalled Kenai running through the airport, shouting, “Nama, let’s fly!’’ And she remembered his kisses and how she loved to touch his little hands and feet.

“Nothing will ever bring you back; we know, because we tried,’’ she said.

Many lamented the milestones they would never celebrate with Kenai.

“I just wish we had that chance to pick out your first tux for prom, or you to go on your first date, but most of all, to start your first day of kindergarten with your big sister, your best friend,’’ said Kenai’s mother, Ashley Young.

Young shared physical custody of Kenai with the boy’s biological father, though the two had divorced. The boy’s father, Dave Whyte Jr., had legal custody of Kenai.

Kenai’s grandfather worked for the Boston Fire Department, and many department employees attended the funeral. The boy’s teacher, Paxcell Jean, said that whenever they went over different careers in class — police officer, construction worker — Kenai would leap out of his seat when they got to firefighter.

“Firefighter, firefighter!’’ he would shout, Jean said. “My grandfather is a firefighter!’’

Two programs circulated during the service, both covered with photographs of Kenai and the people who loved him. In the images, he snuggles on the chests of his grandmother and grandfather; mugs for the camera in a life jacket with his 6-year-old sister; zooms around on a toy Lightning McQueen car; and rides a pony, reaching for its ears.

“The angels were jealous. I’m convinced they thought you were having too much fun down here on earth,’’ said the child’s aunt, Sarabi Silva. “They wanted their turn to love you and left us to mourn.’’

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @evanmallen.