'Finding Prince Charming' Contestant Chad Spodick Dead at 42

Chad Spodick -- a contestant on "Finding Prince Charming" who progressed pretty far during the show's one and only season -- has died.

A close friend to Chad tells TMZ ... the reality star died Wednesday. The cause of death was not shared.

Chad's family friend Kate Werbowski set up a GoFundMe to help out Chad's mother with funeral expenses and expenses related to his five pets ... and, on the page, she calls his death "sudden and heartbreaking" in the post.

Spodick encouraged those around him to grow and to believe in themselves, Webowski writes ... adding he loved his animals -- his four dogs and his bird, Cosmo. Webowski did not reveal a cause of death.

Chad was one of the 13 men who appeared in the 2016 show "Finding Prince Charming" -- a show like "The Bachelor" -- hosted by *NSYNC star Lance Bass.

During the show, model and interior designer Robert Sepúlveda Jr. chose between his suitors ... handing out black ties in lieu of roses.

Spodick made it all the way to episode 6 -- becoming one of the last five guys on the show ... but, he shared his struggles with trust issues at the time and ultimately quit the program of his own volition. Eric Leonardos -- a hair stylist from Los Angeles -- ended up winning the show.

Chad was also a successful real estate agent who was working in New York at the time the show aired back in 2016.

Spodick was 42.